Star Wars: The Last Jedi
by Emperor Ferus
Summary: My reworking of The Last Jedi. Some elements are the same as in the film, others are different.
1. Chapter I

A long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away...

_Star Wars Episode VIII: The Last Jedi_

_The First Order, led by Supreme Leader Snoke and his minions of evil, has driven the Resistance out of their base and sent them fleeing across the galaxy._

_General Leia Organa has sent a mysterious scavenger named Rey to find the exiled Jedi Master Luke Skywalker, in order to bring down the First Order once and for all._

_As the Resistance fleet fights back against their pursuers, Snoke prepares to unleash his new weapon, apprentice Kylo Ren, against the forces of light, intent on bringing the Jedi to an end.._.

"Hang on, BB8," Poe Dameron said as he swerved his X Wing craft sideways to avoid an incoming blast from a TIE Fighter, "We got a couple more on our tail!"

The Resistance flagship _Raddus_ had been fleeing across hyperspace for days, and had finally run out of fuel. The Resistance fleet was now surrounded by First Order fighters and ships, lead by the Dreadnought Star Destroyer of Supreme Leader Snoke himself.

"Commander, incoming!" came the voice of pilot Jessika Pava. Poe gritted his teeth as he aimed the small vehicle downwards as a laser cannon shot out from one of the First Order Dreadnoughts.

"Don't worry, BB8, we're going to deal with them soon," Poe said to the droid in the wing of his X Wing, "First we got to shake these guys off!"

Poe had recently commanded the mission to destroy Starkiller Base, and before that escaped from a First Order Star Destroyer with the help of Finn, a defected stormtrooper. This should have been no problem, but despite his light-hearted demeanor, Poe knew just how high the stakes here were. The remaining hope for the Republic was all nested on the _Raddus, _and if it went down, the free galaxy was doomed.

"I have to tell you, Commander," said another voice on the radio, "I'm with the droid on this one."

General Leia Organa stood monitoring the fighters from the _Raddus' _holotable, flanked by protocol droid C-3PO and several Resistance officers. She watched the battle nervously, wondering if taking out the Dreadnoughts was indeed a lost cause.

"Thanks for the support, General," Poe replied jokingly. He grunted as he was forced out of the way an incoming TIE Fighter. Maneuvering his own craft so that its guns faced the bottom of the enemy vehicle, Poe pressed the trigger and opened fire, sending the flaming TIE flying into oblivion.

Poe turned his head to glance out into the battle, visualizing the path to the _Supremacy. _

"Bombers, prepare to attack the Dreadnoughts!" he exclaimed, "We're going in for the kill!"

"Commander, it's too dangerous," Leia said from the _Raddus, _"We have to keep going."

"We've run from the enemy long enough, General!" Poe replied as he shot down another TIE Fighter.

Accompanied by a bridage of stormtrooper guards and First Order officers, General Armitage Hux stood on the command bridge of the _Supremacy, _surveying the battle. The Resistance capital ship stood alone, vulnerable and waiting for death to take it.

"Captain Canady," he said into the comlink in his hand, "Prepare your cannons to fire on their main ship."

"We're bogged down by their fighters, sir," came the reply from the _Fulminatrix._

Hux bared his teeth as he hissed an impatient reply. "Once their lead ship is destroyed, the fighters won't matter. Do it."

"Very well, General," the older officer grumbled through the radio transmission. To the crew within the Dreadnought _Fulminatrix, _Canady bellowed, "General's orders! Fire the long range missles!"

The scanners built into Poe's X-Wing were picking up on the mechanical activity within the _Fulminatrix _as it prepared to attack.

Yes, I know, BB8," Poe said. Into his radio he said, "We got to take out this Dreadnought. Tico!"

I'm on it, Commander," Paige Tico replied, taking a deep breath as she realized the sacrifices that would need to be made, "Just keep them off my tail!

Poe gritted his teeth as he shot down another TIE Fighter while listening to Leia's admonishing.

"Disengage now, commander!" the general snapped, having no more patience for Poe's boldness, "That is an order!"

Poe switched off his communication channel to the _Raddus, _focusing on the fighters around Paige's bomber, which specialized in such stealth missions as the one required to repel the _Fulminatrix's _next move.

Inside her bombing freighter, which she had strategically flown above the hull of the _Fulminatrix, _Paige switched on the ship's autopilot mode and climbed out of the cockpit, praying that Poe could cover her long enough for her to execute the mission.

Reaching the storage unit where dozens of proton bombs were stacked on the cold, hard shelves, Paige switched on the comlink built onto her pilot uniform's wrist gauntlet.

"Commander, are you sure about this? I'm prepared to go, but this could kill all of our pilots!"

"I'm ready to die myself," Poe replied, glaring with hatred at the First Order Dreadnoughts.

As Paige drew a small, black switch from her pocket, the floor beneath her trembled as it took a blast from an outside fighter.

Seeing Paige's plight, Poe swerved his own vehicle upward to take the TIE Fighter by surprise. The fighter jerked upward before erupting in a ball of fire.

Gritting his teeth in satisfaction, Poe continued repelling fire from Paige's bomber.

On board the command deck of the _Raddus, _Leia watched the battle gravely via hologram.

"He's going to get us all killed," she grumbled.

"General," Admiral Ackbar spoke up, "you do realize that unless we go into lightspeed now, we won't be able to clear the explosion in time."

Leia looked from Ackbar to the protocol droid anxiously, knowing she had to make a decision soon. As much as she had always admired Poe's skills and staunch sense of duty, she knew that his attempt at heroism was putting the entire Resistance in jeopardy.

"Dameron's got pilots under his command out there," she replied, "they're only following his orders."

"Princess Leia, hurry!" Threepio fretted as a TIE Fighter blast shook the command station of the _Raddus._

She gazed around the room, at Lieutenant Connix, at Nien Nunb, at the entire assembly of officers anxiously waiting for her command.

Paige hit the deck hard on her back, watching with despair as the remote flew up from her hand, the entire chamber trembling as TIE Fighters began to overpower the defense around her.

"Captain Canady!" Hux barked into his comlink

"Cannons fully charged and ready," Canady replied.

Hux smiled through the viewing screen at the helpless _Raddus, _heavily besieged by the TIE Fighters and with its aerial defenses severely weakened

"Open fire," he sneered. Organa's indecisiveness would be her undoing. The First Order's ruthlessness was why it would always be supreme.

Above all, Hux had himself to thank for that. Soon, his true genius would be realized by all.

Leia took a gulp as she watched the hulking _Fulminatrix, _Paige Tico's bomber, and the dogfight between Poe's pilots and the First Order fighters.

The detonators shook above Paige, who watched desparately as the remote fell downward, towards the metal hatch. Weakly, she reached out a hand to grab it. Paige knew that whether she succeeded or not, she would not survive.

"Godspeed, Rebels," Paige said to herself as she stretched her hand out towards the switch.

"All craft, return to the main ship," Poe shouted into his X-Wing's radio. "Let's go, BB8," he sighed regretfully as he steered the fighter back towards the _Raddus' _main hangar.

Leia gazed sadly out at the battle scene, inevitable tears etched across her cheeks . First, she had lost Luke and Han, and now, many brave, loyal pilots would be killed. The war had always been about sacrifice, but this was too much, so soon after Han's death.

In the end, however, the last of the Resistance remained aboard her ship, and their fates rested with her. She had learned from Luke that her duty came before her emotions. She was still a Jedi as well as a Rebel leader.

Hux watched in horror as the bombs began dropping towards the _Fulminatrix. _How the Resistance had been so cunning, so sneaky, so _daring, _he had no idea, but this was an emergency

"GET THIS SHIP OUT OF RANGE!" he screamed, but his crew was already working in a panic. The _Finalizer_ backed away as the _Fulminatrix _found itself besieged by the proton bombs released from Paige's bomber.

The _Fulminatrix _was crumpled by explosion after explosion, the ships around it consumed by the inferno.

Through his helmet, Kylo Ren watched as a dozen Separatist-era droidekas rolled out, their shields protecting them from returning fire.

Kylo jumped high into the scorched, smoky air as the heavy ammunition came at him all at once, lighting up the otherwise bleak training room.

Several droidekas struck the walls with their fire, sending chunks of debris crashing to the floor.

As Kylo landed, he blocked the fire coming his way, and reached out with his hand towards the nearest droideka. Seizing the round destroyer droid with the Force, he sent it rolling into its nearest companion, all the while continuing to deflect fire from the others.

As the two droidekas collided in a loud explosion, Kylo leapt over to the wall, facing all the droids at once as they cornered him.

Not letting up for a fraction of a second, Kylo held up his hand as several streaks of red laserfire came flying at him. His body trembling from the exertion, Kylo kept every bolt suspended in the air, as he had done when shot at by Poe Dameron on Jakku.

Then, a split second later, he gave the streaks of fire a telekinetic shove, every one striking back at the droideka that had fired the shots.

Kylo watched with a dark, sinister satisfaction as the droids exploded one by one, the pieces flying across the room. He deactivated his cross-shaped lightsaber and waited.

"Well done, Kylo Ren, well done."

Two shadowy figures entered Kylo's training room. The taller of the two had a white, scarred face and a twisted, deformed neck. The shorter man wore a hood that entirely concealed his face and had a lightsaber clipped to his belt.

Kylo turned to the hulking form of Supreme Leader Snoke and knelt.

"Your training has served you well, Kylo Ren," Snoke said, "Where I sensed conflict, I now sense resolve. Where there was weakness, strength. Complete your training and fulfill your destiny."

"My master, I am ready to face the Resistance," Kylo replied, "Let me deal the final blow. Then, I will follow the girl to Skywalker and deal with them both."

Snoke paused, turning to his hooded companion. Then, in a flash, he extended a gnarled hand towards Kylo, who screamed as he was sent flying backwards, a surge of Force lightning rippling through his body.

Snoke stood over him, his demeanor having changed from deceptively benign to malignant. He had caught Kylo by surprise, tricking him into letting down his guard.

"Ready, you say?" Snoke shouted, "What do you know about ready? Are you ready to kill your mother? You are telling me that you won't crumble from your weakness like you did last time?"

Kylo could not take this abuse lying down. "I killed Han Solo!" he yelled back irreverently, "When the moment came, I didn't hesitate!"

"And look at you," Snoke spat, "The deed split your spirit to the bone. You were unbalanced, BESTED BY A GIRL WHO HAD NEVER HELD A LIGHTSABER!"

Snoke assumed a calmer tone, yet remained just as spiteful. "You're no Vader," he growled, "you're just a child in a mask."

And with that, the Supreme Leader was gone.

His bones and organs still throbbing from the pain of Snoke's torture, Kylo climbed to his feet. With a grunt of anger, he grabbed his helmet with both hands and tore it off his head. As he stormed out of his training room towards the elevator, Kylo silently vowed to find the scavenger girl and Skywalker. He would prove himself far beyond Snoke's expectations.

Kylo stalked into the elevator and sealed it shut. He clenched the helmet in his hand, the one he'd crafted soon after joining Snoke's cause. To him, it had been a symbol of his connection to Vader. But Vader had been weak, hadn't he? When he was put to the test, Vader had crumbled from weakness.

With a grunt of fury, Kylo drove the helmet into the elevator wall. A large crack and a dent pushing the visor inward. Again and again, until the mask was nothing but fragmented pieces on the floor.

_I will destroy the Resistance, here and now. And then I'm going to find Skywalker and take the girl._

Within the _Raddus'_ medical facility, strapped to a system of life-support, Finn snapped awake, breathing heavily as he sat up in his cot. He ripped off his life-sustaining tubes and, a miraculous burst of strength returning, jumped up onto the floor.

Leia closed her eyes as the _Raddus _sped off to safety. Unseen by anyone, she was making a prayer to the Force. More accurately, she was reaching out to her brother, not for the first time. But this time was different.

"We need you, Luke. Please."


	2. Chapter II

As the surviving pilots reassembled on the _Raddus' _hangar, recovering from the battle, Poe worked on repairing a damaged wing from his fighter, his mind wandering without aim.

Suddenly, amid the chatter of his fellow pilots, Poe turned as he heard the familiar sound of BB8's frantic beeping as he wheeled past parked ships and the feet of Resistance personnel as he raced towards his master.

"Hey, buddy, what is it?" Poe asked as BB8 let out a series of whistles and beeps.

"Finn, naked leaking..." Poe looked up as he saw Finn walking down the corridor into the hangar, water gushing out of the life support jacket he still wore.

Poe raced over to his friend, grabbing him excitedly.

"Finn, you're awake," he said, "We couldn't have destroyed Starkiller Base without you! You must have a million questions."

Finn looked back solemnly at Poe, only one thing on his mind.

"Where's Rey"

Luke ran his hands, both flesh and artificial, across the hilt of the lightsaber that he had long ago recieved from Obi-Wan Kenobi, originally built by Luke's father.

It had been decades since he'd seen this lightsaber, he'd thought it was lost forever.

"Master Skywalker," Rey said, "I've come for your help." She had had no plan in convincing him to come with her. She had no idea how hard it would be to persuade Skywalker. She just had to speak from the heart. "The Resistance needs you. Your sister needs you."

Luke blinked as he regarded the girl.

At long last, he spoke. "Is it you?"

"Me?" Rey asked in confusion.

"Rey," Skywalker gazed at her intently, "I've been waiting for you. I left the last piece of the map inside Artoo for you to find me."

"But..." Rey was distracted from her original purpose, now entirely occupied by the mystery of Skywalker's apparent familiarity with her.

"I'm the last thing Leia needs," he replied grimly, "I can't go back. Never." He shook his head as he reached back towards Rey, indicating for her to take the lightsaber back.

"What are you talking about?" Rey demanded, incredulous, "You're Luke Skywalker! You're the only one who can beat the First Order! Kylo Ren is still out there, and he won't stop until he's destroyed us all."

"You think I don't know that?" Luke replied angrily, "I know everything about Kylo Ren. He wiped out all my Jedi younglings. I know he killed Han, I sensed it immediately. He's the reason I can't go back."

"He's the reason you _need _to come back," Rey argued, unable to believe that this was the Luke Skywalker described to her by Han, Leia, and Maz Kanata. "You have to face him and his master."

Luke turned away towards the sea below the cliff, watching the waves strike against the rocky island shore.

"I can't," he said, "That will be your job, once I train you."

Suddenly, the Wookiee Chewbacca came charging down the ramp of the _Falcon, _followed closely by Artoo Deetoo.

"Chewie..." Luke began, but was cut off as the Wookiee let out a loud roar and grabbed Luke.

He slammed the Jedi Master against the grass and squeezed.

"Chewie, no! Stop!" Rey cried, attempting to pry Chewbacca off of Skywalker.

"Chewie...Chewie, it's me..." Luke gasped.

Chewbacca gave an angry growl in response.

"Yes...I know..." Luke replied, "I'm...sorry...I...had...no...choice."

"Chewie, that's enough," Rey said firmly.

At long last, Chewbacca released Master Skywalker, and to Rey's bewilderment, wrapped him in a tight embrace.

"Yes, I missed you too, Chewie," Luke said.

Chewbacca gave a sad, mournful bark.

"Yes, I know, I felt it as it happened," Luke replied.

Next it was Artoo's turn. The little droid came up to Luke and let out a series of frantic whistles and beeps.

"Hello, old friend," Luke said, gently stroking Artoo's domed head, "I'm sorry, but I had to go."

Artoo responded in a way that made Chewie's inital reaction seem gentle.

"I don't know what else to say, Artoo," Luke replied grimly, "I did what was best."

He turned to Rey and said, "It's going to be up to you to make things right."

"You're demoted," Leia said angrily.

Humiliated, Poe looked around at the assembled _Raddus _crew in the strategy room- Vice Admiral Holdo, Lieutenant Connix, Commander D'Acy, Admiral Ackbar, Nien Nunb...

He knew what they were thinking. He had gotten almost all of his squadron killed just for one Dreadnought. Their deaths were on his hands.

Struggling to defend his actions to both himself and the general, Poe argued, "There were heroes on that mission."

"Dead heroes," Leia replied bitterly, thinking of Han. "There are things you cannot solve by getting into an X Wing and blowing stuff up."

"If I may, General," Vice Admiral Holdo stepped forward, "I believe Captain Dameron should be suspended from duty."

"That won't be necessary, Vice Admiral Holdo," Leia replied, giving Holdo a look that clearly established her authority as leader.

As Holdo flushed with jealousy, Finn asked General Organa, "What's our plan?"

"We should have just enough fuel to get to our rendevous point on Crait," Leia replied, "That's the home of an old Rebel base from the days of the Empire. Hopefully, it has enough power to send a distress signal to our allies."

Suddenly, the holotable began flashing in alarm as several enemy vessels appeared.

"Proximity alert!" Ackbar reported as alarms rang throughout the Resistance cruiser.

"They found us," Lieutenant Connix muttered with dread.

"We have to go back into lightspeed," Poe said urgently.

"We can't," Ackbar replied as he analyzed the holographic images, "They tracked us through lightspeed. It's the only way they could have found our location."

"So, if we go into lightspeed, they'll just find us again," Finn deduced.

"Correct," Leia replied grimly. Turning to the pilots and crew workers, she gave them a gesture of dismissal. Immediately, the ship's gunners and pilots began racing to their stations, ready for battle.

Poe glanced at the general tentatively. "Permission to jump into my X Wing and blow stuff up?"

Leia gave him a half-hearted, world-weary smile. "Permission granted."

Holdo glared after Poe as he raced along with his fellow orange-uniformed pilots, BB8 at his heels.

"Flyboy," she muttered. She knew that Leia Organa was only in power because her brother was a legendary Jedi wizard, and those who she liked, such as Poe Dameron, received special treatment.

One day, things might be different, Holdo told herself.

In front of the Star Destroyer _Finalizer, _several TIE Fighters appeared in attack position, anticipating the arrivial of the Resistance's defense vehicles.

"Follow my lead," Kylo Ren said into the radio of his advanced TIE Silencer. He steered his craft towards the _Raddus, _followed by the First Order pilots under his command. "We're going to get them before they have a chance to respond."

As Leia watched the First Order vessels outside, Finn came up boldly behind her.

"General, listen," he blurted out, "Rey's in trouble."

Leia turned her head to listen, and Finn continued. "When I was in my coma, I saw Kylo Ren and Snoke. He's stronger, and he's going to go after her. We have to make sure she's safe."

Leia looked away to hide the expression on her face at the mention of her son, then turned back to Finn.

"I felt it too," she replied, "The dark side threatens all of us, and we will need both Rey and Luke in order to face Snoke and the Knights of Ren. I promise we will help her as soon as we are done with this crisis."

Suddenly, Vice Admiral Holdo approached them, clearing her throat.

"Excuse me, General," she said, "But are we really able to afford such attention on one person when there is a war to be fought?"

"After my brother, Rey is the only known potential Jedi that can face them. She's already faced..." -Leia paused to summon the necessary emotional strength- "Kylo Ren."

She turned back to the battle, reaching out in the Force. She sensed him, aboard one of the enemy fighters.

_Ben._

She knew that he sensed her too, she could feel his internal turmoil.

_Ben, come back._

She felt his reply as a channel of telepathic communication opened between them, even in the heat of battle as he was mowing down her pilots.

_It's too late. You know what I did to Han Solo._

_That wasn't you Ben. You're still my son._

Poe sprinted down the corridor of the _Raddus _towards the hangar, BB8 at his heels. His fighter was straight ahead, if he could just get to it before...

A TIE Fighter blast aimed straight into the hangar, hitting Poe's parked fighter.

"No!" Poe yelled in frustration as it erupted in a ball of fiery gas. He put his hands in front of his face as the explosion sent him flying backwards onto his spine. With a grunt, Poe slid up against the wall as he glared frustratedly at the wreckage of his burnt fighter.

As Kylo Ren swerved his Silencer to aim directly at the command center of the _Raddus, _his communicator beeped and a small, blue hologram of General Hux appeared.

"We can't cover you at this range," he said harshly, "Return to the fleet."

"I'm about to destroy them on my own," Kylo replied with a snarl, shutting off the built-in holoprojector, "Your guns are useless next to the dark side of the Force."

Hux was a nuisance, sometimes a major one, but he was inconsequential compared to Kylo's mother. If he got a clean shot at Leia now, Ben Solo would truly be dead and Snoke would never again question his strength in the dark side.

His finger moved onto the trigger. He felt his mother's presence, directly reaching out to him. His hand froze as he willed it to push down. She was there, and he had the perfect opportunity to end her and the Resistance. The _Raddus _was fully under siege and unable to defend against such a blow.

_Why can't I do this? _

Kylo's backup fighters came swarming behind him, opening fire. Eight jets of blue laserfire soared through the vacuum of space, with enough firepower to destroy the _Raddus' _command center and primary engine.

Kylo looked away as he anticipated the fatal explosion.

But it didn't come. As the crew of the Raddus cowered in terror at their impending doom, Leia Organa stood in the center of the control room, her hand outstretched, holding every single laser beam in place.

"Light...speed..." she groaned as she strained from the effort. She had had little opportunity to continue training as of late, but the instincts were still there inside her, as Luke had told her on Endor many years before.

"You heard the General!" Ackbar yelled, "Set our course for Crait and bring us into lightspeed!"

Leia was vaguely aware of the procedures as her consciousness slipped away. Lieutenant Connix and Admiral Ackbar both moved to catch her as she collapsed onto the deck, the _Raddus _shooting into hyperspace away from the First Order fleet.

"Get her to the medical bay!" Poe yelled as Connix and Ackbar carried the comatose Leia through the crowd.

"I must say," remarked the droid Threepio awkwardly, "space travel has never grown on me."

Accompanied by a guard of stormtroopers and First Order officers, General Hux awaited on the main hangar of the _Finalizer _as Kylo Ren's TIE Fighter landed.

As Kylo exited his cockpit, Hux rushed over to him, followed closely by Captain Phasma.

"Ren!" Hux snapped, "You said you were going to take them out! Why didn't you?"

"I nearly did!" Kylo shouted back, half-truthing to the military leader. He didn't need to know who did and who didn't fire on the _Raddus. _"The Force is strong with Princess Organa."

Hux gave a triumphant, knowing grin. "You mean your mother," he said, "You couldn't destroy your mother. The Supreme Leader is going to know about this. You've put your personal life ahead of your duty one too many..."

Hux was cut off as Kylo reached towards his throat, clenching his gloved hand. The general sputtered as he moved his hands toward his neck, gasping for air.

Phasma and the guard raised their blasters at Kylo, but in an instant, the hold was gone.

Hux let go of his neck and staggered forward weakly, glaring at Kylo.

"Do not talk to me about what you don't know, _general," _Kylo growled, using Hux's title with no reverence, "If I say I shot at the princess, then so I did."

Hux rubbed his neck and stood alongside the assembled squadron, saying nothing. Kylo gave them all a final glare and strode off, disappearing among the personnel roaming the Star Destroyer's hangar.

Hux turned to Phasma, shaking furiously at his humiliation. "Kylo Ren has not committed to the First Order," he said savagely, "And it will be our job to make sure the Supreme Leader knows it and eliminates any disloyalty."


	3. Chapter III

The two of them stood deep within a passageway build in the trunk of an old, decaying tree.

Rey gazed curiously at the dust-covered books resting on the shelf, untouched for ages. She closed her eyes, feeling the entire tree calling to her.

"I know this place," she said. She had definitely seen it before, but where? When she'd picked up the lightsaber, yes, but before that...

"Built a thousand generations ago," Luke explained, "the original Jedi texts. Like me, they're the last of the Jedi religion."

The Jedi taught compassion, and peace. My experience taught me different," Luke said darkly. "Compassion didn't stop Snoke from rising, or Kylo Ren. They need to die, and showing them compassion won't do that."

"Believe me, I have no compassion for Kylo Ren," Rey scoffed, "he's a monster."

"My father died destroying the Emperor. My sister Leia, and Han, my master Obi-Wan Kenobi, we all sacrificed so much to end war and bring peace. In the end, look what it brought us," Luke said bitterly, gazing out from the tree trunk over the island and surrounding sea.

"For many years, there was balance... and then I saw Ben. I thought I could pass on my strengths to my nephew. Han was...Han, but Leia, she trusted me with her son." Luke gulped and continued, "I took him and two dozen students and started a Jedi Academy. By the time I sensed the darkness within him, it was too late."

_Ben ignited his blue-bladed lightsaber, raising his hand up the the roof._

_"Ben, no!" Luke shouted, trying desperately to stop him from reaching the point of no return._

_The ceiling came crumbling down, burying Luke beneath it. _

_"No, wait, come back!" Rey cried as Unkar Plutt clutched her hand in his clammy, slimy fist._

_"Quiet girl," Plutt snarled at her as the mysterious ship took off into the desert sky._

_Rey kicked at Unkar Plutt and pulled her hand away as he groaned in pain. She took off running, far too fast for him to catch her. _

"I saw the Academy, when I first picked up your old lightsaber," Rey replied, "I saw Kylo and the Knights of Ren destroying the academy."

Luke turned back to her, lost in sorrow and haunting memories. "I failed Leia. I failed to save her son. That's why I can't go back."

Luke started back into the passageway out of the tree trunk when Rey said, "Master Skywalker, when I saw the academy, I also saw... me. I saw me, being left on Jakku, in the same vision."

She looked into the veteran Jedi's eyes, hoping for answers. For a moment, she sensed something on the tip of Luke's tongue, but then he turned hard and cold and replied, "We'd better get on with your first lesson. There's still a war for you to win. You can't afford to be distracted."

Skywalker strode out onto the grassy hill, Rey trailing after him. He was right, she had to focus on her training, but she had a strong feeling that somehow, Skywalker and his history were strongly linked to her own.

The two of them were up high on a cliff, overlooking the ocean surrounding the island. All was quiet except for the tidal waves in the distance below them.

"Tell me, what do you know about the Force?" Luke asked Rey.

Rey closed her eyes, pondering the question. She had long heard stories of the legendary Jedi and their Force powers, and she knew she possessed the Force herself. But in the end, what did she really know about these mysterious abilities?

"It's a power the Jedi have, it helps them in battle and manipulate objects."

Luke gaped at the girl incredulously. _It's like she forgot everything._

"Amazing," he scoffed, "Every word in that sentence was wrong. The Force is not a power you have, it's an energy between all matter that binds the universe together. It's a constant balance between all things."

Rey tried to wrap her mind around this, still somewhat occupied by the visions she'd seen in the tavern on Takodana and then again in the old Jedi sanctuary.

"Keep your mind on the present, Rey," Luke said, detecting her wandering thoughts. "Now, sit down, legs crossed, and close your eyes."

Rey obeyed, sitting perched at the edge of the cliff.

"Breathe," Luke instructed, standing directly in front of Rey, face to face, "just breathe. Now, reach out and tell me what you see."

Rey took several deep breaths, clearing her mind. She slowly concentrated on her surroundings, the entirety of the island and all its life.

"I see life," she said, picturing flowers and plants blooming in the meadow nearby, "I see death and decay." She imagined the fossils buried in the soil below the mountaintop and under the sea. "Warmth." The sun shining over the green mountain slope. "Cold." The chilly waves crashing against the rocks. "Peace." A mother critter nursed her babies in their nest. "Violence." The waves crashing into the rocky shore and consuming the seashells and the families of algae. THis was the Force, she realized, connecting everything in a symbiotic circle.

"And between it all?" Luke asked quietly.

"Balance," Rey replied, "This is the Force."

"The Force does not belong to the Jedi," Luke explained, "I thought that it did myself...Rey?"

Rey was consumed in her own mind now, concentrating hard on a mysterious, beckoning entity. She couldn't quite place it, but it was both intimately familiar and strangely alien at the same time.

"Rey!" Luke shouted, sensing trouble.

Rey heard the shout, but Skywalker's voice came from far away from the cliffside. _Rey... Rey... No, come back! Ben, Ben, no!_

"Rey!" Luke grabbed her and shook her to her senses, "Rey, resist it! Resist the darkness within!"

Rey snapped back to her conscious self and pulled away from Skywalker, standing back up on her feet.

"You went straight to the dark place," Luke admonished, turning his back to Rey.

"That place was trying to show me something, something I'm looking for," Rey replied.

The Resistance had wasted no time in setting up camp at their new base on Crait. The old Rebel hideout had bee converted from a salt mine, withing one of the planet's caverns.

Crait's outer surface was covered with salt, which rested over layers of red soil, spread across the plains and the mountainous slopes.

The entire Resistance was assembled within the dim, darkened base. Pilots, foot soldiers, officers, crew workers, they were all lined up, watching General Organa as she emerged from the rocky corridor.

"General!" Poe could not help but exclaim as Leia hobbled on her cane.

"Oh, Mistress Leia," Threepio said, "I am most relieved to see you up and about."

"Thank you," Leia said grimly, "now listen, I have a serious announcement. We have a problem- a tracking device was somehow placed on our command ship."

The assembled personnel immediately reacted with shock, talking over one another.

"How could they have done that?" questioned Temnin Wexley

"There has to be a mole!" Jessika Pava said.

"How else could they have placed a device?" asked Commander D'Acy.

"Order!" Ackbar exclaimed, gesturing to Leia. "Continue, General."

"We don't know where the First Order is, or if they know exactly where we are," Leia told the Resistance army, "but we must prepare a defense now, before it's too late."

She gestured to the ground troops, led by Caluan Ematt. "General, station your men in the trenches. You're our last line of defense."

"Understood," General Ematt replied. To the uniformed troopers, he said, "You heard her!"

"Yes, sir!" Loading their assault rifle magazines, the troopers started towards the tunnels leading into the trenches.

Poe made eye contact with Leia and exchanged a nod. Turning to the pilots, he beckoned them towards the hangar where they had docked their fighters and bombers.

"Come on, let's go!" Poe shouted, "We need to form a perimeter around the planet!"

BB8 appeared at his ankle as he ran, having built a new X Wing in the month since their hyperspace encounter with the First Order fleet.

Leia looked up at the blue, cloudy sky, sensing the approaching dark side presence. She shuddered with dread as she thought of having to face her son again. She hoped the girl Rey could bring Luke back soon enough. "Luke," she whispered aloud.

Luke sat deep in meditation within his small dwelling on the Ahch To island. Suddenly, he felt a presence, calling to him. A tender, loving presence, one he knew as well as his own, but had been cut off from for years.

"Leia," he replied.

General Hux stood below the _Finalizer'_s command bridge, gazing at the distant salt world of Crait on the screen of the Dreadnought's tracking computer.

"Our spy has led us right to them," he said to Captains Peavey and Phasma.

"What about Kylo Ren?" Peavey asked.

"I know just how to get him out of the way," Hux replied, "I have a trap in store. And the scavenger girl from Jakku is the key to it."

"The one he fought on Starkiller base?" asked the helmeted Phasma.

"Yes, that very girl," Hux replied.

Kylo Ren stormed across the hangar of the Star Destroyer, towards his TIE Silencer. He ignored the stormtroopers and officers who stopped to take notice of him. Let them be dumbfounded, they knew nothing of his powers. As Kylo prepared to clomb into his Silencer, he heard General Hux shout, "Ren!"

Kylo turned to find Hux marching toward him across the hangar floor, followed by naval Captain Peavey and the stormtrooper leader Captain Phasma.

"Where are you going?" Hux demanded, "We are about to attack the Resistance base on Crait!"

"I have important business to attend to," Kylo replied curtly, "beyond your concern."

Hux looked away from Kylo and smiled. He assumed a harsh sneer as he turned back to his foe, feigning indignance.

"You presume to leave us at our moment of triumph?" Hux questioned.

"I have been summoned by the Supreme Leader himself," Kylo replied, "I serve his best interests. See to it that you do the same."

With one last threatening glare, Kylo climbed into his cockpit, closing it as he started the engine of his fighter. As it lifted into the air, Kylo pulled the main control lever, blasting off over the heads of everybody in the hangar.

As he hurried through the damp, rocky passageways within the Crait stronghold, Finn had only Rey on his mind. He hoped Poe would be all right defending the Resistance from the First Order attack, but he had clearly heard Kylo Ren and Snoke in his dream. They were coming after Rey, and they would soon know where she was.

Finn had defended Rey from Kylo Ren once, and he was prepared to do so again. He crept towards the smaller, emergency evacuation center, where the small escape vessels were positioned to launch into space. This secret exit was hidden far from the main hangar where everyone else was preparing for battle.

As he carried his packed bag towards a nearby transport pod, Finn felt a sudden movement nearby. He stopped in his tracks, looking around. Sensing nothing, he reached the open ramp of the transport pod.

Suddenly, Finn heard the sound of a blaster trigger being loaded. He gasped as Vice Admiral Holdo emerged from behind another transport, dressed in a long gown and pointing a pistol right at him.

"Stop right there, stormtrooper," Holdo ordered, coming closer to the petrified Finn.

He couldn't bring himself to speak or move. There was no way he could explain this. He looked towards the inside of the pod he had been about to enter, then at the woman holding him at gunpoint.

Holdo was breathing heavily, anger upon her. "You were trying to desert, traitor."

Finn remembered the First Order thug who had called him "traitor." He remembered Kylo Ren shouting the word at him before attacking him and Rey. After a croak, Finn finally found his voice.

"I'm not a traitor," he said, still trembling with shock.

"I know what you were going to do. Your friend, the girl from the desert planet, what's her name? You were going to look for her to live happily ever after," Holdo snapped at him, "Well, listen to me. There is a war going on. We are about to be under attack. More is at stake than one person, and you are nobody to desert us now."

"Rey's in danger from..."

"I don't care about your girlfriend Rey," Holdo replied, "I'm placing you under arrest. Put your hands in the air and move," she ordered.

Holdo stood just out of arm's reach, pointing the blaster straight at the middle of Finn's forehead. There was no way out.

Slowly, Finn raised his shaking arms into the air.

"Walk," Holdo commanded, "One false move and you die."

"I'm walking, I'm walking," Finn muttered as he went ahead, Holdo following close behind him with her pistol aimed at his back. Finn closed his eyes, trying to somehow reach out to Rey, and make sure she was all right.


	4. Chapter IV

Days passed, and Luke had begun teaching Rey the forms of lightsaber combat. He stood in the meadow, watching as she deflected blaster shots from a small, spherical training remote he had salvaged from the ruined Academy.

Chewbacca sat on a nearby rock, munching on a piece of fish that he had caught in the sea.

"Yes, just as you learned," Luke said, "Let go of your conscious self."

As Rey deflected another shot, the bolt flew straight back at the training remote, sending it spiraling down through the air onto the grass along with the others.

"Good work," Luke said, "but remember, good against remotes is one thing. Good against a lightsaber..."

Luke leapt at Rey, activating a smal, blue training saber, yelling almost playfully. Rey gasped, "Oh!" in surprise and raised her own blade to block as Luke lunged at her.

"Remember," Luke said, "When your opponent attacks, use his attack against him. He will tire and become weak. Then, you make..."

Luke swung at Rey with the training saber from the left.

"Your..."

Rey sensed the non-lethal attack coming and blocked.

"Move!"

Luke laughed as he parried Rey's blue-bladed weapon. This rebuke was powerful enough to knock Rey out of balance. Luke stepped forward, lunging. As Rey moved the Skywalker lightsaber to defend herself, Luke swept his foot and tripped her, sending Rey to the ground on her back.

"Hey!" Rey protested, finding herself annoyed at Luke's surprise move.

"Even if you play fair, don't expect your enemies to," Luke said, "That's how..."

Suddenly, Rey felt a sharp pain in her head. She moaned in pain, immediately throwing the helmet off her head.

Chewbacca threw down his drumstick and roared in alarm as she remained lying still on the ground.

Rey was carried far away, into a forest. Once again, saw the Knights of Ren surrounding the burning academy. She saw Skywalker's lightsaber clashing against Ben Solo's.

She heard a small girl shouted, "No, please, please!"

Then, she saw the worst sight of all. Finn was sprawled on the forest floor of a strange planet, his body jerking in sheer agony.

He screamed as blue and violet lightning tore through his body, twitiching on the ground as his bones burned with agony.

"FINN!" Rey could not help but scream. It was so horrible to watch...

Then the scene changed, and Rey saw Finn again, this time in a holding cell.

"No, wait, you don't understand!" Finn was shouting. An unseen guard threatened him with a blaster, "Rey!"

"Finn!" Rey replied.

"Rey!"

She felt somebody shaking her, and realized it was Skywalker. He was the one who had shouted her name, not Finn.

Rey looked up at the old Jedi, breathing heavily and sweating. She shuddered in revulsion as she said, "Just now, I felt the dark place below. It was showing me my friend Finn. He's in danger!"

"Rey, come back!"

Finn stopped as he sensed a familiar presence in the cell with him. He looked around, hardly daring to believe it. Had she come back to him somehow?

"Rey?" he asked, "Rey?"

Then he saw her on an island, surrounded by water. He recognized the Wookiee Chewbacca, but there was an older man with her, with a beard. This, he supposed, was Master Skywalker.

Then he saw her in a cave, dark and unknown. He saw Kylo Ren, standing over her triumphantly.

_No, it's too late! _

"Rey!"

On the Ahch To hilltop, Rey looked around wildly, forgetting her lesson.

"Finn?" She could hear him, calling to her from below.

"No, no, no!" Skywalker chided, grumbling in frustration, "Nobody else is here! You have training to complete. You do want to beat Kylo Ren and Snoke, right?"

Rey looked down towards the cave, sighing in resigned despair.

"Yes, Master Skywalker."

Luke raised the training saber. "Then let's get on with it."

That night, Rey struggled to go to sleep inside her hut. She shifted, unable to get the sound of battle out of her mind. She envisioned a planet of salt, the First Order fleet, the Resistance trapped and in serious danger...

No, she tried to reassure herself, it's just visions. She couldn't leave now, especially if Skywalker had no intention of coming with her. She had to learn all she could from him if the Resistance had any chance of winning, with the remaining threat of Kylo Ren.

_Rey._

Once again, the abyss was calling to her.

_Rey! Nooooo!_

Rey threw off her covers and ducked out from under her hut. Quietly, she ran through the nighttime ghost village towards the stone steps that had led her up to Skywalker.

Hidden by the shadows of night, the hooded Luke watched as the young woman hurried down the slope of the mountain. Despite the years that had passed, the girl Rey had retained much of what he had taught her in her childhood, even if she had no memory of him, and she had expanded greatly on her training in the weeks she had been on Ahch To.

Yet she was still troubled by her past, and the mystery of her identity. Luke remembered all too well being in her predicament, at the same age as she was now.

Master Yoda had balked at training him due to his inattention to the present. Thus, Luke could hardly fault Rey for her weakness.

In a selfish, horrible way, Luke was relieved that Rey forgotten her past. She would no doubt be furious if she knew, bringing her closer to the edge of darkness. He had nearly crossed to that point himself, long ago. He could not afford to lose her to the dark side, not when she was so vulnerable to emotion.

"I sense a disturbance," he muttered aloud, overcome by the evil, familiar presence lurking.

Slowly, the Jedi Master followed young Rey as she raced down onto the rocky sea level.

The cave was screaming out to her, across the shore, the dark opening stood out as a shadow even amid the black of night.

Rey stopped in her tracks, wondering if this was nothing more than a trick of the Force. Was Skywalker testing her resolve somehow, seeing whether or not she would resist?

Rey darted towards the cave, determined not to be held back by further hesitations.

As she passed under the cave's mouth, she heard a voice shout, "STOP!"

Rey turned in alarm to find Luke Skywalker running after her, his face obscured by his cloak and the night.

"Rey, get away from there!" Skywalker ordered, "It's a trick by the dark side!"

"I don't care anymore!" Rey shouted back, "I need answers, and I've gotten none from you!"

"I'm telling you, stay out! Kylo Ren's going to try and get to you, I felt it! Resist!"

Without another word, Rey crossed under the cave's archway a world of pitch black.

She screamed as she felt the hard ground disappear beneath her feet, felt herself falling into the abyss, falling, falling... and then hitting ice cold water.

Rey struggled to swim up as she sank below, in a state of total panic.

This was the end for her, she had failed the Resistance, failed the galaxy, failed Han Solo, failed Leia Organa, she would never see Finn again...

And then the cold wet disappeared, and Rey found herself soaked on a rough, rocky floor. She was on her hands and knees, sputtering and gasping for air

Rey looked up and frantically scanned her surroundings. She was on a rock surrounded by water, but beyond the water, she saw a forest. The trees were all burnt and long deceased.

Instantly, it hit her- It was not the island itself that had felt familiar to her. It was this mysterious dead forest, far below.

"I know this place," she whispered to herself.

"Yes, you do," a low voice replied, "this was your home, long ago."

Rey turned around in alarm, knowing that voice instantly. Kylo Ren was standing behind her, very close yet at the same time light-years away.

Red Leader reporting in," Poe said into the headset of his helmet.

"Red Two standing by."

"Red five."

"Green leader standing by."

"Rogue three standing by."

"It's all you, Captain," Wexley said.

Poe said to the little droid in his cockpit, "Ready for this, BB8?"

BB8 gave a negative reply as laserfire came hailing down from the clouds.

"Incoming!" Poe yelled, immediately opening fire as the first wave of TIE Fighters appeared within Crait's atmosphere. "I got a bad feeling about this," he muttered as a dozen TIEs overtook his squadron.

"This looks rough!" Jessika Pava said, barely dodging a volley of green laserfire.

"Yeah, look out from above!" Poe shouted as the sky was quickly filled with TIEs. From high above, he could only just make out the outline of the _Finalizer._

As she walked along the trenches with Admiral Ackbar and See-Threepio surveying the ground troops and the layout of the mines, Leia gazed up at the sky, watching the distant dogfight with a pair of binoculars.

"It was only a matter of time," Leia said to Ackbar, "This is my fault. If I'd caught the spy sooner, we wouldn't be cornered like this. They tracked us to our safety net of last resort."

How could she have been so blind? Of course she knew why, she had been preoccupied with grief over Han's death as well as her son's descent down the same path as Darth Vader, her own father.

"We still have allies among the Republic settlements," Ackbar reminded her, "If we can summon them, we may be able to repel the First Order fleet long enough to evacuate."

"If I may be a voice of reason, would it be at all possible to surrender?" Theeepio chimed in, "I'm sure the First Order will be perfectly willing to listen to reason."

"Some things never change," Leia sighed, regarding Threepio with the closest thing to amusement she could muster in these times.

"Excuse me, General, but I believe I've found your spy," Holdo said from behind them.

Leia turned to find her along with General Ematt, having emerged from a tunnel entrance leading back to the mouth of the cave.

"The stormtrooper, what's his name, Finn? It seems as though he might not have really defected after all."

Leia could not believe what she was hearing. It had to be a joke. Holdo could not have said that, Leia thought.

"Amilyn, what are you talking about?"

"I caught him trying to leave," Holdo said, "He was deserting, to find the scavenger girl."

"Holdo, listen," Leia began, "Rey's a very important..."

"Do you want to hear his confession?" Holdo interrupted, glaring harshly at the general, "he's locked in our detention facility right now.

"Vice Admiral, I am your superior officer," Leia hissed, unable to retain her patience any longer, "you do not interrupt me, do you understand?"

Holdo looked between Ackbar and Ematt, flushing in humiliation.

"I understand, General. I only mean that deserting is a court-martial..."

"Holdo!" Leia snapped at her.

As Holdo quickly pursued General Organa and Admiral Ackbar towards the base's detention facility, Lieutenant Connix stood from her communication post and approached the trio.

"General, we're not able to get a signal to our allies," she reported.

"We're trapped," Ackbar said grimly.

Leia gazed outside to the distant dogfight, catching the gaze of the looming _Finalizer. _

"We'll have to evacuate," Holdo declared, "There's no way we can stay here as the First Order backs us into a corner."

"With all due respect, Vice Admiral, we can't evacuate," Connix replied tentatively, "General Hux will be waiting to ambush our escape transports. Their fleet has us blockaded."

"What other choice do we have?" Holdo argued.

"At this point, we can only hope to gain the advantage of the defensive," Ackbar chimed in, "If they blockade us from getting out, we'll have to maintain a stalemate as long as possible."

Leia had been pondering the situation silently, searching the Force for an answer. As the other three looked to her, Leia said, "We're going to wait them out. We have help coming."

"What makes you think that, General?" Holdo challenged her.

"Luke will come," she replied, "I felt it."

"Luke?" Holdo scoffed, "Your legendary Jedi brother who disappeared?"

"No time to explain," Leia replied, regaining her stride as she headed for the built-in detention facility.

"You're betting our survival on a hunch?" Holdo called after her as Leia passed through the cavernous entrance into the prison.

Swiftly and without hesitation, Leia punched in the code to open his cell door.

As soon as Finn saw General Organa, he leapt off the floor and rushed to her.

"General, listen, we have to help Rey! She's in danger, right now! It's Kylo Ren!"

"First you try to leave, then you make up ludicrous lies," Holdo said to him, "Your precious Force is not going to solve anything."

"Holdo, if you speak out of turn again, you'll be demoted!" Leia hissed, "Stay in your line."

She turned back to Finn and softened. "I'm very sorry about everything. I'm releasing you."

"No, no, no!" Holdo shouted in disgust, "Enough!"

Suddenly, before anyone could react, she drew a small blaster pistol from her gown and pointed it at the group.

Holdo lunged and seized Leia as Connix cried, "No!".

"The three of you, in the cell," Holdo commanded, "Don't try anything."

"You're a traitor!" Finn yelled at her, consumed with fury, a traitor and a hypocrite!"

"A hypocrite, for not believing in your Force or your precious legend? A hypocrite for making no exceptions for scavenger Jedi girls,?"

"Rey is our only chance!" Finn shouted.

"And Luke," Leia said, remaining calm and resolute despite the nozzel pressing into her head.

"I know all about your Jedi and their sorcerer's ways!" Holdo replied fiercely, "I know about your coward brother, and your father Darth Vader! Yes, General, your father was none other than the Lord of the Sith. How you became so trusted by the Republic, I'll never know.

"Your father terrorized the galaxy with the Force, and now you're depending on it to win the war! That's why the Resistance was doomed from the start. That's why I led the First Order to us."

Now Connix lashed out in anger. "It was you!"

"Yes, it's time to face the facts. The Republic is gone and the Resistance is a lost cause. Your faith is worthless, General."

"You don't know the first thing about faith," Leia said defiantly.

Still clutching Leia's arm, Holdo used her elbow to shut the prison cell door, leaving Finn, Ackbar and Connix locked inside.


	5. Chapter V

Red Leader reporting in," Poe said into the headset of his helmet.

"Red Two standing by."

"Red five."

"Green leader standing by."

"Rogue three standing by."

"It's all you, Captain," Wexley said.

Poe said to the little droid in his cockpit, "Ready for this, BB8?"

BB8 gave a negative reply as laserfire came hailing down from the clouds.

"Incoming!" Poe yelled, immediately opening fire as the first wave of TIE Fighters appeared within Crait's atmosphere. "I got a bad feeling about this," he muttered as a dozen TIEs overtook his squadron.

"This looks rough!" Jessika Pava said, barely dodging a volley of green laserfire.

"Yeah, look out from above!" Poe shouted as the sky was quickly filled with TIEs. From high above, he could only just make out the outline of the _Finalizer._

be able to repel the First Order fleet long enough to evacuate."

"If I may be a voice of reason, would it be at all possible to surrender?" Theeepio chimed in, "I'm sure the First Order will be perfectly willing to listen to reason."

Around him, pilot after pilot was being blasted down, the wreckage of their fighters burning on the salty surface of Crait.

BB8 whistled a suggestion to his master and friend.

"I'd like to get out of here, BB8, but I can't give the First Order any room," Poe replied. "It's up to us to stop them from getting in."

On the command bridge of the _Finalizer, _General Hux gleefully watched the aerial battle below his feet.

"Captain Yago!" he shouted to the officer awaiting his orders below deck.

"Yes, General Hux?"

"Deploy the bombers, and have them target the mountainside. Nobody goes in, nobody goes out."

"Yes sir."

"Captain Phasma," Hux said to the stormtrooper leader at his side, "Prepare your troops for landing."

Phasma gave a silent salute and stalked off towards the hangar, where five Atmospheric Assault Landers were awaiting with a batallion of white-armored stormtroopers inside them.

Phasma stepped into the lead Lander and gave the signal for take-off.

Finally, Hux turned to the awaiting Captain Peavey. "Prepare my ship," he said, a sneer forming on his lips, "I want to be there when they burn."

As Poe continued to repel TIE Fighters with his remaining fellow Resistance pilots, the comlink on his utility belt began beeping.

Groaning in agitation, Poe switched it on and said, "In the middle of something!"

"Poe, it's Finn," the voice on the other end said, "Holdo betrayed us, she took General Organa hostage and locked us in the detention level."

"What?"

Despite the volleys of fire flying around him, Poe could not help but freeze in his cockpit.

"She's the one that put the tracking device on our main cruiser."

"We'll deal with her later," Poe replied, opening fire on a TIE hovering into his sights, "Right now, we have an invasion to stop..."

His body was jerked forward as a blast hit his X Wing in the back. In the rearview, Poe could see that the vehicle's left wing had caught fire.

As BB8 squealed in fright, Poe tried to manuever the fighter upward.

"Sit tight, old buddy," he said, "I have a bad feeling about..."

Another shot struck the X Wing's main engine, sending the vehicle spiraling down to the salty plains below.

"Poe!" Finn yelled, banging on the prison walls, "Poe!"

"We'd best contact the command station, and get help," Ackbar suggested.

As Finn punched in another code with his comlink, he heard the buzz of static on the other end.

"It's jammed," he grumbled.

In the main communication center, all systems had abruptly shut down.

"We've lost power!"

"Where's the general?"

As Holdo dragged Leia towards the passageway leading to the hangar, she took her blaster's nozzel away from the general's head and pointed it at a radio tower above. She blasted it, causing it to erupt into flames.

"That takes care of that problem," she said viciously.

"You're making a big mistake," Leia told her, "Just because you've given up doesn't mean we've lost hope."

"We?" Holdo replied, "Like I said, the Resistance never had a chance. Look outside."

Leia peered out the cave and down the slope of the mountain.

First Order trooper carriers were landing on the plains surrounding the base, and four All Terrain Armored Transports were approaching.

"Open fire!" Ematt shouted as the stormtroopers came flooding out of the carriers, their white armor blending in with the salty ground.

The soldiers in the trenches released a volley of laserfire at the charging enemy forces, and the ground assault began.

Rey scrambled to unsheathe the lightsaber clipped to her belt, activating it and pointing it at Kylo Ren.

"Murderous snake!" she yelled, her anger from their battle at Starkiller Base returning at the sight of him.

Surprisingly, Kylo acknowledged her with no anger or hate, but sympathy.

"Did he tell you what happened?"

Rey was at first confused by Kylo's question, but soon disregarded it.

"I found Skywalker. You lost. The First Order will lose."

Kylo paced the forest floor, still not provoked by Rey's words of scorn.

"Did he tell you the truth? About why he left you?"

"You don't know what you're talking about!" Rey replied fiercely, "You're just a liar and a criminal!"

"Master Skywalker is not your friend," Kylo replied humbly, "Hate me if you want, but know that Skywalker does not care about you. Just like he never cared for me."

"What?" Rey could not help but falter at Kylo's apparent expression of weakness.

"It's time you learned the truth," Kylo replied. With that, he raised his hand, and he and the forest disappeared.

For a brief moment, Rey was surrounded by nothing but the rock, the water around, and the black, desolate bottom of the cave.

Then she saw the forest again, but the trees were alive and green and unharmed. Inside a stone building, a young girl swung a lightsaber, slicing a training remote in half.

"That's me," Rey whispered.

A man entered the training room. It was Luke Skywalker, but younger. His hair and beard were less grey, and seemed happier and full of life.

"Good job, Rey," the man said, "remember to let g of your conscious self."

"I want to be a Jedi _now_!" the younger Rey protested, as if she was demanding dessert.

Luke chuckled lightly. "You'll get up there soon enough," he said, ruffling young Rey's hair with his hand, "We've got to make you a Padawan first."

Then, the scene changed.

It was nighttime, and the temple was on fire. Screams erupted throughout the building and the young Rey sat alone in the middle of the circular Jedi Council chamber, crying.

The dead bodies of unsuspecting Jedi masters were littered around her, and blasterfire could be heard in the distance, as well as the recognizable sound of clashing lightsabers.

From a distance, Luke watched tearfully as the temple burned to a crisp, his robotic hand clutching Artoo Deetoo's domed head for his own comfort.

Then, the scene changed again, and Rey was surrounded by the desert of Jakku.

She saw Master Skywalker leading her by the hand to Unkar Plutt.

She saw Skywalker wave his hand and say, "You will safely take her to Lor San Tekka."

Plutt repeated Skywalker's words back to him. "I will safely take her to Lor San Tekka."

She saw Skywalker's ship taking off into the daylight, and the little girl cried out, "No, come back!"

"Quiet, girl!" Plutt snapped at her. The young Rey kicked him, and pulled her hand away. As he swiped to grab her, Rey took off running into the desert, Plutt running slowly after her.

Finally, Rey saw a scene she knew all too well, her earliest memory. Inside the wrecked Star Destroyer which she called home, Rey marked the tenth tally mark on the wall.

"He'll come back," the young girl said, "I just know he will."

And then Rey was brought back to the ruined forest, where Kylo stood.

She stumbled forward, briefly losing balance. She looked up at Kylo, not daring to speak as though her silence could somehow prevent those memories from being true.

But no, they were all coming back. Her training, her fellow Jedi pupils, the teachers, Skywalker.

"It's not true," she said by reflex, "none of that was true."

"I wish I could say it wasn't," Kylo replied grimly, "but deep down, you know it was all real. Skywalker gave up on you."

"I don't believe it," Rey said, panting, "I can't." She was trying to convince herself that it was all false, but with every passing second, she felt more and more certain that those were indeed her memories.

"No."

"You and I are not so different," Kylo explained, "We were both left to Skywalker by our parents, who didn't want us.

This brought Rey back to her senses. "That's not true!" she snapped, "Han Solo loved you, he gave a damn about you, and you killed him!"

Kylo's expression was stony and cold. "Yes, I killed him, and I know he loved me. But he loved me too late. He never understood me, or my powers. He couldn't deal with me most of the time, no matter how much my mother tried.

"My father never fully believed in the Force, even though my mother had studied under Skywalker. It caused problems between the two of them. And with me." Now Rey couldn't help but notice a crack in Kylo's voice.

She shouldn't have wanted to hear any more, she knew, but something inside her was forcing her to listen.

"Eventually, my mother sent me to Luke's Jedi academy to train. I did not understand why my parents sent me away from all I knew. Skywalker was afraid of me, early on. He sensed darkness and fear inside me, and thought I would become like Vader."

"But you did become Vader," Rey replied, though her voice was significantly less harsh, "you serve the dark side as he did."

"The dark side was the only place for me to turn to," Kylo explained, "The Jedi didn't understand me any more than my father did. Except one."

Rey now saw, in her mind, a young Ben Solo, sitting alone at the Jedi temple.

She saw him walking through the forest now, talking to a tall, hulking figure in Jedi robes. The man Ben spoke to was humanoid, but badly deformed.

"Snoke was my only source of comfort during my years with Skywalker. Eventually, Skywalker turned on me and expelled me from his academy."

In the Jedi council chamber, Rey saw Luke extending a hand, demanding that Ben turn in his lightsaber.

"I knew that despite my loneliness, I had nowhere else to go. I attacked Skywalker in my anger."

Ben ignited his blue lightsaber, the same one that Rey was grasping in her hand at that exact moment.

"Ben, no!" Luke yelled as the temple walls crumbled.

"Skywalker dealt me a wound that nearly killed me..."

Rey saw a green blade running through the teenage Ben's chest, and watched as he fell to the ground.

"But I was saved, by Snoke."

She saw the scarred Snoke place his gnarled hand over Ben's body, using the dark side to heal him.

"Snoke then offered a different path. I knew that I had no place with the Jedi Order, or among my own family. He was the only one I could turn to."

"He's been manipulating you," Rey replied, "Just like Han Solo told you."

"Skywalker's manipulating you," Kylo told her, "but it doesn't have to be that way."

To Rey's bewilderment, Kylo outstretched his gloved hand through the projection towards her, beckoning.

"If you join me, we can save your friend Finn and destroy Snoke and Skywalker together. We can let the past die, and start anew!"

But only one thing resonated with Rey.

"Finn," Rey repeated, his name repeating in her mind. Without another word, she deactivated her saber and ran in the opposite direction, back to the vertical stream of water and was pulled back up to the cave entrance.

By this time, a heavy rainstorm had begun on Ahch To. Gravely, Luke walked back up the hill towards shelter. Surely by now, Rey had learned the truth, he thought bitterly.

He could sense her anger, predictably directed at him. There was little he could do to make her understand, Luke thought, but he had to try. She couldn't fall the way he almost had.

Two hands shoved Luke from behind, sending him staggering. Rey's fist came flying at his face.

Luke caught her wrist and held it as she aimed another punch at him.

Luke blocked her other arm's attack and swung his arm holding her, sending Rey flying onto the soaking grass.

"Is it true?" Rey shouted, feeling nothing but rage towards the old master, "did you abandon me in the desert."

"I had no choice!" Luke replied desperately, "I couldn't take you into exile with me. If Snoke had discovered me in hiding, he would have killed us both!"

"Eight years! I waited on Jakku for eight years for you to come back!" Rey sprang to her feet and launched a kick at Skywalker.

"I'm sorry Rey," Luke replied, "I did what I had to do to keep you safe."

"I DON"T CARE!" Rey screamed, sending another fist at Luke's face, which he immediately blocked. "My whole life I hoped you would come back for me, but you were here on this island the whole time!"

Luke didn't say anything, nor did he defend himself when Rey pushed him.

"I've wasted too much time here!" Rey shouted, "My friends are in danger and I'm going to help them!"

She turned and sprinted towards the stone steps, leaping three at a time through the rain.

"Rey, no, wait!" Luke called after her, following his former pupil down the mountain pathway towards the shore. Even as he chased after her through the soaking wet, he knew that nothing he could say would change her mind. From her point of view, there was no excuse for what he did.

Chewbacca had been dozing in the copilot's chair of the _Millennium Falcon _when Rey came barging in in a huff.

"Chewie, we're leaving," she said, activating the engine.

Chewbacca gave a hesistant growl.

"Master Skywalker isn't helping us," Rey replied, "and the Resistance needs us." In a softer tone, she added, "Finn needs me."

Chewbacca pulled the power lever and the _Falcon _lifted off into the stormy night.

Luke only just made it to the seashore as Han's old ship blasted off from the island. He watched in despair as the headlights of the _Falcon _grew dimmer and dimmer, before disappearing.

Just like Han had disappeared, just like his father, just like Ben and Yoda, Uncle Owen and Aunt Beru, Biggs, all of his Younglings and Padawans and fellow Jedi Masters.

Luke was alone. He sat down on a rock, watching the violent sea amid the rainstorm. He just wanted death to take him already. He was not an old man, only fifty-three, but he felt as ancient as Master Yoda.

The knot in his heart loosened ever so slightly as he heard that familiar beep of affection as Artoo Deetoo appeared beside his forlorn master, devoted to the end.

Luke placed his flesh hand on Artoo's head and stroked it.

"At least I still have you, Artoo," Luke sighed.

Artoo gave another beep of reassurance, determined never again to be parted from his owner and friend.


	6. Chapter VI

We don't have a lot of time," Ackbar said, "We need to get out of here to alert the others of Holdo's betrayal."

Finn banged his hands against the steel door. "Hey!"

"These are soundproofed," Connix said grimly, "Nobody can hear us in here."

"The controls to open the cell door are wired into the cave walls," Ackbar informed Finn and Connix, "If we could somehow break the walls open, we may be able to hack the controls."

Finn placed his hand on the rock wall where the prison door wirings ran through.

"We need some blunt tools to break this rock open."

As Connix withdrew a wrench from her utility belt, Finn dug into the pockets of his jacket that had originally been Poe's, feeling a small, sharp pocket knife.

"How are we going to slice the prison controls with no power?" Connix asked.

"Leave that to me," Ackbar croaked, "I was here when this system was built. I know all of its ins and outs. There is a backup power generator built within every electrical outlet in case of an emergency."

"We'd better move fast," Finn said, stabbing into the wall with his knife as Connix began jabbing it with her wrench. Little by little, pieces of rock were scraped off. Finn moved the knife backwards, then plunged it into the stone, slicing deep into each piece as Connix smashed them open.

"I think we're getting somewhere!" Finn shouted as the wires appeared within the layers of rock.

"We need to find the control panel that opens this thing!" Connix said, "Keep digging!"

The sound of blasterfire grew louder outside the detention facility. Screams and battle cries rang throughout the caverns as the stormtroopers entered the trenches.

"Retreat!" General Ematt exclaimed, beckoning his men into the mouth of the main cave entrance, "Get to your transport!"

With a nauseating lurch of his stomach, Finn recognized the unmistakable stomp of an AT-AT Walker. "We're running out of time!"

"Got it!"

As Finn's dagger cut through the wires, careful not to slice any in half, Connix's wrench smashed against the piece of rock that the knife was digging into, and Finn flung the debris away.

"Admiral," Connix said, gesturing to the opposite end of the panel.

Ackbar got to work, unplugging one end of the main cable from the control pad. He then connected it to the small, emergency generator. Just like that, power was restored.

"Lieutenant?" Ackbar extended his wrinkled, webbed hand to Connix, who handed him her wrench. Ackbar pried open the seal of the back of the control pad and punched in the code.

"We're free!" Finn exclaimed as the door slid open. Blasterfire could still be heard as the Resistance tried to defend themselves.

"Let's go," Connix urged, leading the way through the detention corridor.

Amilyn Holdo was still grasping Leia firmly around the neck, with her blaster nozzle against the general's head. As Holdo led her onto the ramp of a GR-75 medium transport, Leia contemplated her escape. She still felt physically weak from holding off the would-be lethal blasts from the TIE Fighters, but she was running out of time, and she would not leave her Resistance to suffer.

The two women disappeared into the transport, unseen by the Resistance personnel desperately racing to their ships and taking off through the elevated cave opening.

Before entering the GR-75, Leia glanced at the ships taking off around her, fleeing into Crait's battle-scorched sky. She hoped that most of them would make it past General Hux's blockade.

As Holdo dragged her into the cockpit, Leia was surprised to find the golden C-3PO cowering behind the pilot's seat.

"Oh, Mistress Leia, thank the maker you're all right! Please tell me that the madness is over, I've had quite enough."

"Threepio, get out..." Leia began, but Holdo tapped her on the head with the pistol.

"Golden droid, fly us out of here," she ordered.

"Me, fly? I couldn't possibly..."

Holdo removed the pistol from Leia's head and aimed it at the droid.

"Yes, Mistress."

Reluctantly, Threepio activated the GR-75's controls, lifting it off into the air.

"Oh, dear me," the protocol droid fretted as he struggled to keep the small craft afloat.

Leia looked out the viewing screen at the power station sticking out of the mountain slope. She felt the Force returning to her, if she could manipulate the ship just right, she could envision an escape, but there could be no mistakes...

She closed her eyes, concentrating on the controls in C-3PO's stiff, golden hands.

"I'm terribly sorry about this!" Threepio cried as the ship rocked back and forth, back and forth as he desperately tried to steer it. The ship sped on, straight for the cable.

"Help me!" Threepio wailed as the ship flew out of the entrance amid the fleeing traffic of escape pods, medium transports, and fighters.

As Leia maintained her focus, the GR-75 sped directly towards the electric tower, slamming into it. As electric currents rippled through the ship, it was sent flying straight backwards towards the hangar floor.

Holdo screamed and lost her balance as Leia leaned against her, the pistol flying across the cockpit as both women fell to the floor. The ship landed with a crash on its side, Threepio sitting comically upside-down at a right angle between the floor and the roof.

"Oh, my head."

Recovering quickly, Leia scrambled to her feet and ducked under the looking around for the pistol that had flown away. It had disappeared along with Holdo.

"_Princess_ Leia," Holdo spat, using the title with contempt, "Nothing but royal filth."

Leia turned around just in time to intercept the shot from Holdo's pistol, holding up her palm to halt it in midair.

"I should have recognized your foul stench a long time ago," she replied with her classic Leia attitude. She sent the bolt flying through the cracked ceiling of the wrecked transport into the cave wall in the distance.

Leia then reached towards Holdo, telekinetically wrenching the blaster from her grip and summoning it to herself. Holdo's eyes widened as Leia pointed the blaster at her, raising her hands in the air.

"Please!" she cried desperately, rendered helpess within a brief moment.

Leia glared at her furiously. She had lost her son, her husband, and her entire home planet. The Resistance was heavily under siege because of Holdo's betrayal. Leia deserved this kill, after all she'd suffered. This was all Holdo's fault anyway. She was a coward and a traitor who didn't deserve to live, unarmed or not.

But Leia was not Holdo, and the Resistance was not the First Order, just as the Rebel Alliance was not the Empire, and the Jedi were not the Sith. If nothing else, Leia knew that she still her principles to hold onto, ingrained within her early on.

Leia lowered the blaster and reached for a chunk of debris lying within the ship's wreckage, sending it towards Holdo's head. The chunk of aluminum slammed against her skull, knocking Holdo unconscious instantly and leaving a dent in her forehead as she crumpled inside the ruined hangar.

"Oh, my dear Princess, I'm so sorry," Threepio said as she bent over to help him to his feet, "I never got the hang of this flying business."

"You did great, Threepio," Leia chuckled darkly as she supported him out of the GR-75's wreckage. By this time, most of the transports parked in the small, remote hangar had lifted off and taken refuge.

"It's the general!"

Leia dodged as a volley of laserfire streaked past her.

"Oh, will this never end?" Threepio wailed as Leia shot back at the stormtroopers blocking the hangar entrance, continuing to avoid the streaks of ammunition. Nearby, the remaining Resistance fighters returned fire to the invaders.

Finn was shaken to find the command center in flames as he followed Ackbar and Connix. He winced as he crept past the bodies of Resistance crew workers on the cave floor. He recognized some, others were strangers.

As he took in tbe death toll, Finn felt a sudden, immense guilt for trying to abandon the base, despite needing to make sure Rey was safe.

He hoped that Kylo Ren had not gotten to her, that she was able to both escape and resist whatever trap he had in store. He was unable to sense her now, wherever she was.

Suddenly, the cave ceiling above them trembled, then began to crumble.

Finn ducked under a holotable as the rocks came crashing down onto the equipment. When he peered out, he saw that Admiral Ackbar and Lieutenant Connix were nowhere in sight- just flames and crumbled rock.

As Finn crawles out from under the table, he froze as two pairs of white, armored feet appeared in front of his face.

His heart sinking in despair, Finn gazed up to find two stormtroopers glaring down at him. Several more stood around him, armed and dangerous.

The sound of clanking rang louder in Finn's ears as a tall, platinum armored stormtrooper carrying a deadly electrostaff stepped in front of her troops.

"FN-2187," Captain Phasma taunted, "So good to have you back."

Addressing the troopers standing in front of Finn, she said, "Seize him."

Finn grunted as the two men grabbed him by the arms and hoisted him up onto his feet. He struggled and kicked, but Phasma pressed her blaster against his chest.

"Don't try and resist, traitor," she said with a metallic, imperious voice.

The AT-AT Walkers stood directly in front of the cave entrance.

Inside the lead cockpit, Hux spoke to the small, holographic figure of Captain Phasma.

"We've crushed their interior defenses, sir," Phasma reported, "You are clear to enter."

Hux gazed down at the near deserted cave entrance.

"Destroy what's left," he sneered, "but keep the traitor stormtrooper alive. He is key in bringing down Kylo Ren."

"Sir?" Captain Peavy pointed out the window.

Hux looked up to find several of his TIE Fighters being shot down from the air. He strained to get a better look, and to his fury, saw a small, round Corellian freighter swerving around the TIEs, destroying each one.

Suddenly, he felt the floor beneath him wobble as the AT-AT took a hit from the newcomer vessel.

The _Millenium Falcon._

"Blast that ship out of the sky!" Hux yelled.

As Rey fired at the AT-AT Walkers, Chewie turned the ship sideways to dodge the heavy offensive ammunition.

Shot by shot, Rey's beating heart was getting the better of her mind and rational judgment.

Sweat dripped down her hair as she concentrated furiously on the enemy vehicles that prepared to destroy the spark of hope that guided her, that had once guided the galaxy through the dark times of the Empire, and now guided the Resistance.

Leia dove behind a rocky pillar as a jet of red laserfire streaked past her. She aimed the pistol and fired, hitting the stormtrooper dead in the chest. Although she wouldn't kill if she could help it, now was a time of emergency.

Trying not to focus on the dead and dying bodies around her, Leia shot down another trooper and glanced at Threepio, who was walking as quickly as he could past the line of fire.

"Don't shoot me, please don't shoot me!" the protocol droid cried.

Leia moved forward quickly, preparing to fire at any other stormtroopers in sight. She dashed towards the cavernous corridor, not wasting a second.

"You will pay most dearly for your desertion," Phasma said to Finn, as her stormtroopers continied to restrain him.

"Yeah?" Finn rebuked disrespectfully, "What are you going to do, Chrome Dome?"

"Rest assured, if not for General Hux's orders, you would be dying painfully at my hand," Phasma replied coldly.

As Finn was dragged through the passageway leading to the main hangar, his hands were forcefully clamped into bindercuffs.

As the entourage escorted him into the near-vacant hangar, Finn spotted a squadron of elite shadowtroopers led by a single black-uniformed figure with hair the color of the burning flames around him.

Despite his brave, defiant front, Finn could not help but gulp at the sight of General Hux. He had feared Hux back during his days in the First Order, and was always disturbed by his extremely authoritarian and sadistic methods.

"General Hux, we have him," Phasma said.

Hux smiled down at Finn, snickering. "And now, the fatal blow is dealt to the Resistance. Well, FN-2187, surely you realize that the only reason we do not execute you on the spot is because the Supreme Leader has plans for you."

Hearing the voice of the sociopath who had injected fear into his entire life, Finn at last found the courage to speak against him.

"You're going to regret this, Hux!" he snapped back, "We have powerful friends!"

"Oh yes, I know all about the little Jedi girl from Jakku," Hux laughed, "She will be dealt with."

"Rey," Finn muttered, startled by Hux's mention of her.

Then, Finn realised the truth. Hux wanted Rey, and he was using Finn as bait. Why else would Hux keep alive one lowly defected foot soldier? He couldn't let them have Rey.

"Just kill me now!" he yelled, kicking and thrashing to free his arms from the iron-strong hands gripping them, "I'll resist everything you do! I won't cooperate, I'll..."

At a flick of Hux's finger, Phasma fired a paralyzing shot at Finn, stunning but not killing him. He fell limp in the stormtroopers' arms, his wrists still chained together.

Just then, the sliding door shook with a thud, and was blasted out of its frame onto the hangar floor. Leia Organa emerged with her blaster aimed at Hux, who gestured to the shadowtroopers protecting him.

Small harpoons were launched from their rifles, catching Leia around the arms and legs. She fell hard to the grounds, the cables wrapped around her entire body.

"I don't think so, Organa," Hux spat at her, "I know all about your sorcerer's ways." To Phasma and the guard of stormtroopers, he ordered, "Take them both aboard my shuttle!"

Through the crimson-colored fog in the distance, Rey could make out a lone figure beside a crashed X Wing fighter. The pilot was searching the wreckage, salvaging a little round droid...

"BB8!" Rey exclaimed, a slight feeling of elation at seeing her little friend mixing with her anger towards the First Order and Skywalker, "Chewie, take us over to the crashed X Wing at ten o clock!"

Chewbacca roared in acknowledgment and steered the _Millennium Falcon _over the heads of the walkers towards the wreckage.

Poe looked up at the approaching freighter, which he recognized from Takodana and Starkiller Base.

"That's got to be Finn," he said to BB8. Waving his hands to signal the _Falcon, _Poe shouted, "Hey! Over here!"

The _Falcon _lowered onto the salty ground and Poe raced over. BB8 rolled along after him, leaving a trail of red dust below the salt.

Poe prepared to give Finn a hug when the ramp slid open, but faltered when he saw a young woman dressed in grey robes instead, followed closely by a Wookiee.

"You're Rey," Poe realized immediately, "Finn's been talking about you nonstop."

"Finn?" Rey asked, "How is he?"

"There's a lot to catch you up on," Poe replied, "I'm Poe Dameron, by the way." He held out his hand, and Rey shook it.

"Nice to meet you," she said. Then, Rey squatted down to face level with BB8.

"I know this little droid," she said affectionately, "I've missed you, BB8."

"Everybody knows BB8," Poe replied light-heartedly, likewise bending down to pat the droid's minature head, "he's done more for the Resistance ghan almost anybody."

Then he looked up seriously at Rey, glancing over her shoulder at the TIE Fighters circling the mountain.

.

From far off, a high, fussy voice cried out, "Wait for me!"

Rey, Poe and Chewbacca turned to find Threepio strutting across the salt plains towards the docked _Falcon, _waving his stiff golden arms frantically.

"Threepio?" Poe said incredulously.

"Oh, take me away from this nightmare!"

"Where's the general?"

Threepio paused as he reached the ship.

"I'm afraid I don't quite know," Threepio replied, "She disappeared."

Poe and Rey exchanged dark looks, knowing what this meant.

"We have to get back to the base right away," Poe said grimly, "before it's too late."

"Get in," Rey told the group.

In the _Millennium Falcon'_s cockpit, Rey, Poe, Chewbacca, BB8 and Threepio circled over the mines that had been brought to ruin by the First Order.

"Over there!" Rey could see a parade of stormtroopers through the scarlet fog, marching towards General Hux's ship.

Rey gasped in horror as she recognized the two shackled prisoners being dragged by the stormtroopers.

"FINN!" she cried out, unable to help herself. She shook with rage and fear as he disappeared into Hux's shuttle.

"That's Finn, and the general!" Poe exclaimed as he got a better look at the prisoners.

As General Hux brought up the rear of the procession, Rey moved her hand to the trigger that fired the _Millennium Falcon'_s front cannons, but to her surprise, Poe Dameron grabbed her wrist.

"We can't afford that kind of a risk right now," he said, "We're going to have to wait."

"But Finn and General Organa are there," Rey protested, "And if we take out Hux, the First Order army is without a leader." She watched with frustration as Hux boarded his ship and the ramp was sealed shut.

"Trust me," Poe replied gravely, "Nobody wants to take a shot at Hux more than me. But we have to be smart here. We can't take any unnecessary chances. General Organa taught me that. If I hadn't learned to wait and fight another day sooner, the Resistance would probably be better off right now."

He looked away regretfully, thinking of the pilots who had died under his watch during their hyperspace battle.

"What do we do now?" Rey asked. Hux's shuttle took off into the clouds, towards the looming Dreadnought blockade.

"We can't waste any time," Poe replied, "We need to follow them, but we also have to be smart about it."

"That'll take us right to Snoke," Rey realized.

Poe flinched as he realized that Rey was right. Hardly anybody saw the infamous Supreme Leader, but his powers were well-known and widely feared.

"Do we have a plan?"

"We'll come up with one as we go," Rey said, steering the _Falcon _towards the Star Destroyers after Hux's ship, "but if we have to risk facing Snoke in order to save our friends, then that's what we'll do."

Poe nodded in agreement, while at the same time fighting down a deep sense of dread. They had no choice, he told himself, even if it meant taking another possibly fatal risk.


	7. Chapter VII

By now, the rainstorm had stopped on Ahch To. Luke stood at the foot of the mountain leading up to the deserted village.

Despite the comforting presence of Artoo, his heart was empty and he saw no resolution to the crisis.

"I failed, Artoo," Luke said to his astromech droid, "I failed Rey, just like I failed Ben. My father sacrificed his life so that I could create a new era of peace and happiness. Look where that took me."

At the top of the mountain, Luke could make out the dead tree trunk that contained the ancient Jedi texts. The texts with which he'd taught his students, now dead under his watch...

"I've done more harm than good to the galaxy," Luke said to Artoo, glancing up at the nighttime starts as if seeking solace from them, "I don't know why I thought I could train another generation of Jedi.

"I'm done with it, Artoo. It's time for me to move on and live out the rest of my life. The Jedi way can continue on without me."

Twenty minutes later, Luke had a packed sack strapped around his shoulder, and he walked along the shore, determined to leave the Jedi behind. If a future generation of Force users wanted to dig up the Jedi texts and use them, so be it. It was none of Luke's business anymore.

Behind Luke, a ghostly, luminous figure appeared in the night, following him as he stalked along the beach.

Luke was more than five miles away from the mountain when he sensed a familiar presence behind him, one he'd long yearned for in his darkest hours.

He turned around in disbelief to find none other than Obi-Wan Kenobi gazing up at him, with his same serene, reassuring eyes. Yet somehow, his old mentor seemed slightly younger than he had when Luke had known him in life.

"Ben," he said, using the name that he had first known old Obi-Wan by on Tatooine. He had not seen Kenobi's ghost since the night Kylo Ren had attacked his Jedi academy at the behest of Snoke.

Luke had so much he wanted to say to the old Jedi Master, so many questions, and stories, and emotions buried within. Yet at that moment, only one thing was able to escape his lips:

"Why didn't you come to me before?"

"I could not appear to you because you did not seek my help," Obi-Wan said sadly, "You stopped believing in the light side and the Jedi way."

"I was afraid," Luke said, unable to keep his voice from cracking with painful remorse, "I was afraid of the Force falling out of balance, like my father died for. I didn't know how to stop the darkness inside Ben. I just gave up on him."

"Not even the wisest and most powerful masters are immune to weak," Obi-Wan said, floating towards Luke so that they were face to face, "the Jedi of the Old Republic failed to sense the rise of Darth Sidious due to their hubris. I certainly blamed myself for not helping Anakin more. But in the end, his choices were his alone, as are Ben's. You did not fail him."

"He was alone, and afraid, Obi-Wan," Luke replied, "Han and Leia trusted me with Ben, and I let them down. I thought by sending him away from my Academy, he would live a happier life without the Force, free of the darkness inside him. I wanted to protect him, but instead I doomed him to his fate."

Ben Kenobi reached out with his translucent hand and placed it gently on Luke's shoulder. Luke felt like the same lost and confused young man he had once been, relying on Obi-Wan for guidance.

"It is exactly for that reason why you must not give up, Luke," Kenobi replied, "You must not give up on Rey, or Ben Solo. As long as you are around to guide their future, hope will remain."

Another voice then spoke from the cold, dark air, a voice far more wizened and ancient than Obi-Wan's.

"Yes, listen to Obi-Wan," Yoda said as his spiritual from appeared beside Obi-Wan, "Even when the light is dim, needed, the Jedi are, to preserve hope. That is why defeated, the Sith were, and why redeemed, Anakin Skywalker was. Even on the verge of darkness, need you, the girl Rey does, in order to carry on the Jedi way."

Luke sighed, knowing in his heart that the old masters were right. But he could sense, even now, that Rey had closed herself off from him. No matter what else, he had simply done her wrong.

"I can't be who she needs to be," he said to Obi-Wan and Yoda, "Not anymore."

"Even when I gave up on Anakin, my best friend and the closest thing to a brother, you did not," Obi-Wan replied, "You saw the light in him, and because of it, he chose to do the right thing in the end. It is never too late to choose right."

"Yes, young Skywalker," Yoda said, jabbing Luke's leg with his wooden walking stick, "Believing that the lure of dark side can be broken, that is the lesson that you, the student, taught us, the masters."

"You've come a long way, Luke," Obi-Wan assured Luke, "You brought back the light when there appeared to be none. Now you must preserve it."

Luke looked back at the mountain again, then at the shimmering images of Obi-Wan and Yoda.

He'd forgotten the very principles that had saved the galaxy from the Empire, even if the victory hadn't lasted.

He would make it last this time, at any cost. That was the burden of all Jedi Masters, to carry the torch of light when there appeared to be nothing but darkness. It was up to the Masters such as himself, not old texts, to carry on the legacy of the Jedi.

He'd made that commitment long ago, and it was time he honored it once again.

A row of stationed troopers stood at attention on either side of the _Finalizer's _command bridge as General Hux came storming in.

Following him was Captain Phasma along with two stormtroopers, pushing vices that restrained Finn and General Organa.

Hux stopped as he reached the end of the aisle, turning to face the strapped prisoners.

"General Organa, FN-2187, you don't know what a pleasure it is to have you as my prisoners."

He stepped closer to Leia, and bent down to sneer at her dead in the eye.

"The Alderaan _Princess_, hero of the Rebellion, at my mercy. The Resistance is helpless now without you. You are a failure, and you always were."

"As long as there are people who believe in fighting for freedom, the Resistance will never fail, Armitage Hux," Leia replied, glaring right back at him, one general to another.

She used his first name to deny him the elevated status that he considered himself of.

Hux had clearly gotten the message. He raised his hand and slapped Leia hard across the cheek.

"No!" Finn yelled, enraged at Hux's act.

He thrashed vigorously in his vice, which fell straight backwards. Finn was left on his back facing the _Finalizer'_s ceiling, still struggling to no avail.

"Shut up, you old witch!" Hux spat at General Organa, "Spare me your royal nobility!"

"You're deluded into thinking Snoke has your best interests in mind, Armitage," Leia went on, "It's a shame he got someone so young to do his work for home.

Hux cried out in anger and knocked Leia's vice against the wall. "Enough out of you."

He now stood over Finn, literally talking down to him as Finn continued to struggle while lying on his back in the tilted vice.

"By the way, traitor, I know all about your bond with the scavenger girl. She will come to us."

Finn knew at that moment that he would rather die than have Rey give herself up for him.

"Just kill me!" he yelled, having no fear of his former general, "You piece of rotten filth! You... you!"

Hux once again lapsed into a state of rage, grabbing the sides of Finn's vice. He stood Finn up, turned the vice so that Finn was facing the durasteel wall, and slammed him against it hard.

Finn cried out as his face slammed against the metal, pushing his nose in.

"You dare disrespect me, soldier?" Hux shouted, slamming Finn against the wall.

Finn coughed as the blood from his nose trickled onto his lip. He just wanted it to be over. He'd lived as full a life as he could have hoped for, he'd seen the evils of his fascist upbringing, and he'd turned away.

Better yet, he'd found Rey, someone who really cared for him rather than his services. If he had to die now for her safety, so be it.

Hux slammed him again and again, restrained in the vice.

Finally, Finn landed again on the floor, his face bruised and bleeding.

Hux placed his foot over Finn's belly as Leia watched in horror, stomping down. "Got anything else to say?"

As the TIE Fighters surrounding the _Finalizer_ swarmed towards the _Millennium Falcon_, Rey took out her anger on each pilot, blasting them into rubble.

"On your left, look out!" Poe shouted as Chewie tilted the _Falcon _sideways.

"Oh dear me!" Threepio wailed.

"Wait a minute!" Poe realized, looking out at the TIEs, "something's not right."

Chewbacca barked a question as Rey continued to shoot at the Fighters.

"They're not fighting back," Poe said, watching as each TIE was blown into a ball of fire, "Hey Rey, none of them are shooting at us!"

"I don't care!" Rey replied, "They deserve to die anyway!"

"No wait, this has got to be on Hux's orders," Poe said, squinting as he analyzed the strange behavior of the fighters, "They're coralling us, but they're not firing no matter how many we kill. Hux wouldn't waste this many fighters unless he had a plan."

Hux watched with satisfaction from the main viewing screen. "Any minute now."

"No," Finn muttered, "No, no, no."

"Please, Luke," Leia whispered, once again reaching into the Force. She knew he sensed her, but what was keeping him?

Suddenly, Rey felt a rush to the head, and abruptly stopped shooting.

"Finn."

He was in pain, bleeding and beaten. Hux was torturing him, and he wanted her. Finn was the bait in a plan to trap her.

"Rey..."

Hux looked down on Finn, who was still lying restrained on his back, and stomped on his stomach.

Finn gasped as the wind was knocked out of him.

Suddenly, Hux stumbled and tripped, falling to the deck.

He looked over to Leia and glared at her as she wagged her bound-up finger at him.

"You witch!" he screamed. He moved to get up on his feet, but Leia waved her finger again, knocking him back down.

"Phasma, stun her!"

Phasma fired a shot from her blaster, hitting Leia and rendering her unresponsive.

"It's time we got the ball rolling," Hux snarled as he got to his feet. He jerked his head to the communication officers below deck.

"Patch a signal to the _Millennium Falcon!"_

"Hang on," Poe said, "We're getting a comminication, it's coming from the Star Destroyer."

"Answer it," Rey said coldy.

"What? You know it's a trap," Poe replied.

"Answer it!" Rey barked.

"Okay, okay," Poe was terrified by her sudden rage. Maybe she was worried about Finn and General Organa, like him, but it seemed much worse than that.

He switched on the channel and said, "_Millennium Falcon."_

The sinister voice on the other end said, "Where is the girl Rey? I know she is aboard your ship."

Rey didn't hesitate. She leaned into the controls and said, "This is Rey from the Resistance. You will release Finn and General Organa and have them brought safely to the _Falcon._"

"You presume to give me commands, scavenger filth?" Hux scoffed, "No, I have your friends aboard my ship, and I can have them executed at a split second's notice."

Rey concentrated hard on Hux's presence, waving her hand. "You will release Finn and General Organa and have them brought to the _Falcon."_

"Ha!" Hux laughed, "You think your mind tricks will work on me, commander of the galaxy's most powerful army? No, you either give yourself up or they die."

"Worth a shot," Poe mumbled as Rey looked out at the Star Destroyer. Finn, in there, his blood now a puddle on the floor...

"So be it, General Hux," Rey replied, "If I come to your ship, you must release them. Those are my terms."

"Get onto my Star Destroyer now," Hux said, "I don't have all day."

The communication ended abruptly, leaving static on the other end of the line.

Poe sighed, knowing they were about to enter the belly of the beast.

"Chewie, get ready to land on the Dreadnought."

"No," Rey replied, "I'll take one of the escape pods and go alone."

"But..."

"Listen!" Rey snapped, before softening her tone. "I need you to take find as many of our allies as you can. I'll try to rescue Finn and Leia, but it'll be impossible to get out without backup."

BB8 expressed a concern in whistles and beeps.

"Yeah, he's right," Poe said, "How are we going to find you again?"

Rey smiled and climbed out of the cockpit. A moment later, she returned with a small, round metal device.

"A tracker," she said, "I'll hide one in the escape pod and you can use the _Falcon _to lead the Resistance to us."

"Okay, sounds like we got this figured out," Poe replied.

As Rey prepared to climb back out of the cockpit, Chewbacca growled softly.

"Yes, I'll be careful, Chewie," she said as the Wookiee wrapped his hairy arms around her.

BB8 added something of his own.

"I'll miss you too, BB8," Rey replied, chuckling fondly despite the severity of their situation.

"Hey, may the Force be with you," Poe said.

"You too," Rey replied, disappearing down into the cargo hold.

Rey took a deep breath before she entered the small, human sized pod and laid down, activating the remote that temporarily opened the _Falcon'_s hull to launch her out.

A moment later, Poe, Chewbacca and the droids watched as the small escape pod launched from the _Falcon'_s hull through the parade of TIE Fighters.

"Hope she'll be all right," Poe muttered. To the others, he said, "We'd better get out of here before they open fire. Chewie, lightspeed."

Chewbacca didn't hesitate. He pulled the lever activating the hyperdrive, and blasted the _Millennium Falcon _far out of sight.

Hux, Phasma, and the shadowtroopers stepped onto the hangar just as Rey's small pod landed on the deck.

Hux signaled a squad of nearby stormtroopers, who aimed their weapons at the pod as the hatch slid open.

Rey leapt out of the pod, igniting her lightsaber's blue blade. She spotted Hux immediately, and extended a hand as she summoned the Force

Before she could grab him, she felt wires wrapping themselves around her, pinning her arms to her sides.

Rey dropped the activated lightsaber as she fell onto the hangar floor, unable to break herself free with the Force.

The lightsaber cut into the durasteel foor, emitting sparks into the air.

"Take her weapon," Hux said to Phasma, who bent down to pick it up. She twirled the weapon in her armored hands and looked around it as though studying it, then switched it off.

Hux bent down to the floor and seized Rey's upper arms, hauling her up to her feet to face him.

"Let...go..." Rey suddenly felt helpless, even though she had far more power than the evil general.

She felt very violated as he stared into her face, nose to nose, the glare of his eyes and the smell of his breath penetrating her...

"The Supreme Leader looks forward to meeting you, young girl," Hux snarled, "as will Kylo Ren."

Remembering her encounter with Kylo on Ahch To and the revelations presented to her, Rey found it in herself to reply, "I'm here now, Hux. Let Finn and Leia go."

Hux dropped her to the ground and laughed. "How naive can one person be?"

He waved a hand at the stormtroopers. "Take her."

They obeyed, grabbing Rey and hoisting her off the floor. Rey struggled in the cables binding her, kicking and thrashing her arms.

Without waiting for a nonverbal command, Phasma stepped up to Rey and raised her blaster, beating her over the head.

Rey grunted in pain as her head filled with a ringing sound.

Lying on the deck of the _Finalizer_, Leia reached out again. _Luke..._

_Leia..._

Luke stood on a rock before the tidal waves, Artoo Deetoo at his side. He extended his hand toward the water, knowing exactly what he had to do.

_Size matters not._

_Luminous beings are we, not this crude matter._

He concentrated and lifted.

At first, nothing happened. Artoo gave a disappointed beep, but Luke kept up his concentration, filled with fresh confidence.

Finally, between crashing waves, an old, beaten X Wing Fighter emerged from the ocean floor, lifting slowly into the air as Luke raised his arm upward.

As the X-Wing rose clear in front of first crack of dawn, Luke moved his arm, telekinetically delivering the old vehicle towards the shore.

At last, Luke lowered his old Rebel Alliance fighter onto the rocky seashore and relinquished his Force-grip.

"Well Artoo, you ready to fly again?"

Artoo Deetoo beeped in excitement as he lifted himself off the ground on his rocket boosters, flying over the wing of the fighter and landing in the astro-droid socket.

For the first time in too long, Luke climbed up into the cockpit of his X-Wing.

"Let's see if this still works," he muttered, flicking the switches.

It was all coming back naturally, Luke vaguely thought as the engine started. He lifted off into the air as the sun began to rise over the horizon.

Daylight had come to Ahch To by the time Luke and Artoo launched out of the atmosphere, into the black vacuum of space.


	8. Chapter VIII

At the end of the Clone Wars, the volcanic world of Mustafar had been home the last of the Separatist movement. After they were destroyed by the Empire, Darth Vader had built a castle for himself on the same planet where he had died and been reborn.

Though Vader was long gone, his black, mythical castle Fortress Vader stood on the mountainside over the lava banks. Supreme Leader Snoke had established his base there, in order to further study secrets of the dark side.

As the _Finalizer _joined the First Order fleet in orbit around the red, burning planet, Leia, Finn and Rey were all dragged by stormtroopers through the main hangar, followed by Hux and Phasma.

All three prisoners were still bound and injured from Hux's physical brutality.

As she was pushed aboard Hux's craft, Leia felt another Force presence nearby, one as familiar as Luke's.

Ben was down there with Snoke, still under his spell of evil. Yet she knew the conflict was as present as it had been during the hyperspace battle. He had killed Han, but his father's sacrifice hadn't been for nothing, Leia knew.

She also knew that even if Ben was brought back to light, he would not be able to escape justice. It would pain her to watch him suffer further, but she could not deny justice to the rest of the galaxy.

Yet the most important thing to Leia was to bring her son back. No matter what came next, no matter what he had done, she just wanted him back. For Han, for Ben, for the light side of the Force.

_Have faith, Leia, _a voice said. Leia looked around as Hux's shuttle was sealed.

That voice, from the depths of the Force, it wasn't Luke. It had come from beyond the grave. Obi-Wan Kenobi was watching over her, reassuring her that it would be all right.

_Hope is not lost. _

As Hux's shuttle lifted and launched out of the _Finalizer_'s hangar, Kylo Ren stood in the dim, ominous throne room of Supreme Leader Snoke. This throne room had once belonged to his grandfather, he knew.

Now it was Snoke's, at least until Kylo made it his own.

As he anticipated the arrival of the prisoners, Kylo sensed his mother's presence, getting closer as she approached the planet. Hux had left her alive, Kylo realized, as well as the girl Rey. It was because of him that they were there.

That was the only reason why Hux would not indulge in the pleasure of personally killing such an important Resistance figure. Hux had set a psychological trap for Kylo, exploiting his weaknesses.

As he sensed his mother landing, Kylo promised himself that he would not take the bait. He wished it was that easy.

The shuttle docked onto the landing platform adjacent to Fortress Vader. The castle was a single, pyramid structure, with a stream of lava flowing down the mountain it was built on.

As Rey exited the shuttle, pulled along by the stormtrooper guards, her nostrils and lungs were filled with gaseous air, emitted from the lava and volcanic eruptions all around. The air was as black and sinister as the dark side that surrounded them.

As she walked along the long, twisted pathway leading to Fortress Vader, Rey felt Kylo Ren's presence getting nearer. She sensed malice in him, but also...conflict?

It didn't matter now. She looked back at Finn, whi was still subdued by the beating he'd endured.

"Keep walking," the trooper behind her ordered.

"Come on, Poe, Chewie," Rey murmured, "please."

A single X-Wing fighter sped across hyperspace, its pilot determined to reach his destination at all cost.

"Yes, Artoo, I know what I'm doing," Luke said as his little astromech expressed his concern.

After a safe distance, the _Millenium Falcon _pulled out of hyperspace.

"Okay, we're in the middle of nowhere," Poe said to Chewbacca and the droids, "Where do we start? Do we have a plan?"

Chewbacca gave a reply in Wookiee language.

"Sorry?" Poe asked.

Threepio now chimed in, relieved at the opportunity to perform what he was made to do.

"I do believe that Chewbacca is saying that he knows of a way to make contact with the entire Resistance. A...surprise contact of some sort."

Poe looked from Threepio back to Chewie. "You have a contact? Do you know how to reach him?"

Chewbacca jerked his head up and down. He typed a code into the _Falcon'_s computer.

"Corellia?" Poe asked, reading the screen, "This guy's your contact? You know him?"

Chewie answered yes.

"This man is in charge of one of the Republic's remaining strongholds!" Poe exclaimed, "He's the Resistance's number one ally. Oh yes, how badly we need him now!"

Chewbacca entered the code and waited.

Soon, a man's face popped up on the screen.

"Chewbacca?" the man asked, "Is that you?"

Chewbacca replied affirmatively.

"Hey, it's good to hear from you!" the man replied, "Where's Han?"

Chewbacca was quiet for a moment. Then, he let out a small, subdued growl.

"What?" the man asked in shock.

"General Antilles," Poe chimed in, "Captain Solo's dead. Kylo Ren is responsible."

"Poe Dameron?" Wedge Antilles asked, "Is that you?"

"Affirmative General, we need your help."

"Poe! Last time I saw you, you were..."

"There's no time for that, General Antilles," Poe said, "The Resistance has been trying to reach you for weeks. We were starting to think you were killed in the Hosnian system."

"The Republic survives even without it's capital," Wedge said, "We are a people, not a place."

"Yeah, Wedge, that's all good, but listen. Kylo Ren killed Han and the First Order has Leia. We need whatever the Republic can spare, and we need to get in touch with the rest of the Resistance too."

In his office on Corellia, Wedge patted a small comlink on his belt. "I can connect with Admiral Ackbar. He'll be your best chance at getting the Resistance together."

"Great, tell him to meet us... where are we going?" He entered another code into the computer, remotely activating the tracking device Rey had hidden aboard her escape pod.

"Mustafar. We've tracked their command ship to Mustafar. Leia's there and we need help!"

"I won't let you down, Commander Dameron," Wedge promised, "Anything for the Resistance, and anything for the Solo family."

The small number of Resistance personnel that had made it onto the _Raddus _were now assembled in the main strategy center.

The castle's main entrance was guarded by a row of stormtroopers, specialized for defense.

The prisoners were led inside, through the bleak and deserted corridors, until they reached the throne room.

Kylo Ren was there, standing at the side of Snoke's throne. His face was stony as he watched the prisoners enter, masking the turmoil of emotions inside him

No less than eight robed Shadow Guards stood defensively on either aide of the gothic room, armed with lethal, red bladed lightsaber pikes.

Snoke himself was dressed in a golden robe. His features were twisted beyond the point of no return, and his height towered over all of his guards and Kylo.

The Supreme Leader laughed in his low, gravelly voice as Hux bowed before him.

"Supreme Leader, the prisoners."

"Ah yes," Snoke replied, "General Leia Organa, heiress to Vader, child of Alderaan, failed Jedi."

Leia would not be intimidated by Snoke. As she was forced onto her knees along with Rey and Finn, she spoke up against the Supreme Leader:

"Snoke. You've dug yourself into a deep hole. Luke Skywalker will come, and you will be brought to justice."

Snoke chuckled mockingly as his face assumed an expression of false sympathy. "Oh, your faith in your brother is touching no doubt. But if he hasn't come to help your little Resistance by now, who is to say he ever will?"

General Hux approached the throne tentatively. It was all Kylo could do not to reach and strangle the life out of him.

Hux extended his hand to the Supreme Leader, clutching Rey's weapon.

"The girl's lightsaber, Supreme Leader."

"The weapon of Skywalker," Snoke said, stroking the blade in his gnarled hands, "yes, I've been waiting to get my hands on this." He addressed Hux as well as Phasma and the stormtroopers.

"Leave us."

Hux nodded and strode out of the throne room, followed by Phasma and her troops.

Leia gazed directly at her son, who willed himself to no avail not to make eye contact with her. He could not turn now, not after Snoke had punshed him so cruelly... he had to prove himself, to his master and the dark side...

"Ben," Leia spoke to him, pleading, "It's not too late for you. I know you don't want this, deep down. I know you still have light in you."

"Now, you know what's coming next, don't you?" Snoke asked with sadistic pleasure.

He raised a hand, and Leia Organa was levitated into the air, helplessly floating closer to the throne. She landed back on her knees, still gazing at her son with her watery, pleading eyes.

Kylo shook as his stomach twisted inside. He ignored Snoke, summoning the nerve to speak to his mother.

"You don't know what I've done. I cannot go back now," he replied, unable to stop his voice from trembling as he choked up, full of emotion.

"That wasn't you, Ben," Leia said, "Your father believed in your inner goodness, and I do too. Ben, my son, I love you."

"Shut up!" Snoke made a fist, and Leia's air supply was cut off. She gasped, reaching for her throat.

Rey was now snapped to action.

"No!" she cried out, extending a hand to Snoke's throne. She grabbed the lightsaber sitting on the throne's arm, and summoned it in her direction.

As Snoke released Leia, Rey charged at him, blade activated and ready to strike. Nothing mattered now except plunging her blade into that ball of slime, ridding the galaxy of it's greatest evil.

Snoke raised his hand, and Rey was forced to halt in her tracks.

"Rey!" Finn shouted as she lifted into the air.

Finn too was raised off the floor of Snoke's throne room, both of them flying backwards against the wall.

With a thud, both of them bounced hard against the wall and slid down, too dazed to fight back any further.

Snoke laughed again and summoned the activated lightsaber back to him.

He switched it off and set it back to rest on his throne.

"Now, Kylo Ren, you will complete your journey, and all will be forgiven. You will become a true master, my equal."

Kylo remained frozen at the side of Snoke's throne.

He shifted the cross-shaped lightsaber in his hands, igniting the red blades of hell.

"We're receiving a signal," Lieutenant Connix reported.

Hope was restored as the Resistance let out gasps of relief.

"Maybe it's General Organa!"

Ackbar activated the holoprojector, which revealed the image of Wedge Antilles.

"General Antilles, we attempted to contact you on Crait, but we couldn't get out a signal. We've been trying for weeks."

"Admiral Ackbar, it's been a long time, old friend," Wedge replied, giving the Mon Calamari a salute.

As Ackbar returned the gesture, Wedge went on:

"Poe Dameron and Chewbacca have made contact from the _Millennium Falcon. _They need all the manpower they can get to rescue Princess Leia."

"Princess Leia!"Ackbar exclaimed as the room erupted into gasps, "Where is she?"

"How quickly can you get your army to Mustafar?"

Commander D'Acy spoke up now. "Mustafar?"

"She needs help," Wedge informed them, "Commander Dameron says it's urgent."

"Mustafar is the heart of the First Order," Ackbar said, "We aren't well-equipped for such an attack."

"All Republic resources are at your disposal," Wedge assured him, "We're in this fight for the long haul now."

As his hologram faded out, Ackbar addressed the anxious Resistance.

"There's no time to lose!" he declared, "This is an awful risk, but we have the Republic's full support."

More quietly, as much to himself as to the crew under his command, Ackbar added, "May the Force be with us."

Kylo approached his mother, lightsaber ignited.

"No, no," Rey murmured, still weak. She tried to get up again, but the Force was holding her and Finn down. The robed, pike-wielding guards remained still and silent.

Leia looked up at Kylo, tears dripping down her face as she realized that maybe, just maybe, her hopes had been misplaced. Maybe there was nothing in there, nothing in that tortured soul.

He had killed Han after all, after his father had tried with all his hopes and stakes on the line. If Luke had maintained faith in their father Vader, Leia saw no reason why she shouldn't hold onto her own faith.

Yet now, Ben was on the verge of striking her down, past the point of saving. Without her, there would be nothing pulling him towards the light. This final, pure evil act would negate Han's sacrifice for nothing.

Leia closed her eyes, preparing for the painful release of death...

But it never came. Kylo stood in place in front of her, blade humming with life.

"What are you waiting for, dark apprentice?" Snoke snapped impatiently.

Kylo still didn't move. Leia thought she saw a tear fall from his face and hit the throne room floor.

"Perhaps a demonstration is in order," Snoke said, reaching towards Leia with his fingers.

Deadly blue and violet lightning hurled from his fingertips, striking Leia's body.

In spite of her mental and physical will, Leia sceeamed as the dark energy tore through her skin and bones.

Once again, Rey broke free of the Force-hold and leapt to her feet. This time, Finn joined her, yelling at Snoke in rage.

As they began to charge, the guards raised their pikes to ward them off. Both Rey and Finn were sent flying backwards yet again, pinned with their backs against the wall.

"Guards, finish off the other prisoners," Snoke ordered, "They are useless now."

The guards raised their plasma blades and circled around the unarmed Finn and Rey.

The two of them huddled closely together. Both Finn and Rey were trying desperately to contain their fear. They couldn't give up now, but they were trapped with no clear way out...

"Rey, listen," Finn whispered, squeezing her arm as they leaned against the wall, "I was really worried about you. You were the first person to care about me for more than my fighting ability."

"I do care for you Finn," Rey whispered, "No matter what, I'm not going to let them harm you, I promise."

She grabbed him and held him tightly, bracing herself. If they didn't make it, she wanted him to know how much she cared. Finn was her first friend, maybe her only human friend ever. She couldn't let him be hurt, not after all they had been through...

Finn knew that he would never get another chance. As the guards slowly approached them, he took a deep breath, and let it out. This was it.

"Before we die, I want you to know that I love you."

Still holding him in her arms, Rey looked at him and gaped.

"Finn..."

What would she say to that, when they were in such terrible danger?

"Rey?" Finn said anxiously, "I mean it, I love you."

The Shadow Guards had them cornered against the throne room wall now. They pointed their blades of hell, closing in for the kill.

Snoke's attention was diverted, Rey realized. This was their last chance of survival...

"Now, child of darkness," Snoke declared, "if you want to put her out of her misery, you will kill her now."

Kylo looked at his mother, and back at Snoke. At this point, there was only one thing to do, no matter what it cost him.

He pivoted on his heels and let out a yell. Kylo raised his blade and leapt towards Snoke's throne moving it downward to strike.

Snoke rose from his chair of power, seizing the Jedi lightsaber and igniting its blue blade.

As Kylo brought his red lightsaber downward towards his master, he was pushed back by Snoke as he wielded the Skywalker lightsaber.

At that same moment, Rey cried out and reached towards one of the Shadow Guards, using the Force to wrench his pike from him.

Thinking of nothing but escape, she summoned the crimson blade into her hands, standing defensively in front of Finn.

_It's just like a lightsaber, _she told herself.

Even if she died trying, she had to protect him. Above all else, she had to protect Finn.

Knowing she would very likely fail, Rey held the enemy blade in front of her, bracing herself as the Shadow Guards attacked.

As the nearest guard swung his pike at Rey, she moved the weapon in her hands to block the attack and fight for her life.

She flung the attacker's pike away and then jabbed her own pike forward towards the Shadow Guard whom she'd stolen the pike from and drove it through him.

Facing Kylo, Snoke glowered at him, snarling in rage. "So, you betray me, Kylo Ren. You were never worthy and you will die as the weakling you always were."

Kylo yelled out and lunged, striking his blade against the Skywalker lightsaber controlled by Snoke. The two of them locked weapons, glaring into the other's eyes as red clashed against blue

"You will not hurt her anymore! You won't hurt any of them ever again!" Kylo said.

"Oh, this is only the beginning, _apprentice_," the Supreme Leader replied with a grin.


	9. Chapter IX

Rey moved with reflexes that she had never thought herself capable of as she used the red blade to defend against the advancing Shadow Guards.

They had her terribly outnumbered and were not giving her any room, but her built-up anger was keeping her sustained and on her feet.

Harder and harder, she struck, plasma against plasma.

As Rey pushed against three blades at once, a sharp, burning pain erupted on her right leg.

A Shadow Guard's pike had cut it open

She tried to remain on her feet, but the wound was too intense. Rey dropped to the throne room floor, hoping the end would come quickly.

As the Shadow Guard swung his blade down to execute, Finn jumped up with a frenzied scream, seizing the guard's weapon and trying to wrestle it from him.

As the six other guards advanced, Rey stuck out her leg and tripped the guard tangling with Finn.

Finn grabbed hold of the weapon and sliced off the arm of the guard.

Another guard came up upon Rey, bringing his weapon down towards her.

With a groan of pain, Rey gripped her red-bladed saber pike in both hands and blocked the guard's strike.

With a roar, Finn struck at the next guard, who dodged his blow and parried. Finn dove out of the way, but could not avoid a slash to the back.

He shouted in pain and stumbled forward.

As two guards attacked from behind him, Rey reached out to try and seize their weapons.

However, two more guards were attacking her now, forcing her to back away against the wall as she repelled them.

Rey's head was splitting in pain as well as her leg. She did not see how she could humanly defend against these guards, but she could not give up now.

Meanwhile, Kylo was immediately forced onto the defensive by Snoke's attack. He kept his eye on the Supreme Leader with every strike, remembering all that both Snoke and Luke Skywalker had taught him. He had to keep Snoke away from his mother at all costs.

Suddenly, still lying weakly on the floor, Leia stirred. She looked hopefully towards the entrance of the throne room, knowing her faith in the Force and in her brother would soon at last pay off.

"Luke," she said, smiling despite herself.

As Snoke pushed away Kylo's red cross-blade with a powerful blow, he suddenly turned the Skywalker lightsaber inward, cutting into Kylo's ribs. Kylo shouted in pain as Snoke back-flipped away from him.

Before Kylo could charge to make up the lost ground, Snoke extended his free hand and unleashed a torrent of lightning. Kylo was prepared this time, holding up his lightsaber to block the energy.

The lightning crackled against his crimson blade as he held it away from his body.

"You will suffer for your incompetence," Snoke snarled at Kylo.

He let out a more intense round, causing Kylo's knees to buckle from the effort of deflecting it.

Finally, Kylo fell onto his back, exhausted.

Snoke circled around him like a predator, reaching towards the arm of his throne. A small compartment opened up, and another lightsaber flew into Snoke's gnarled hand.

Snoke ignited the red blade of his own lightsaber, pointing both blades at Kylo.

Suddenly, all six guards were inexplicably pulled away from the wounded Rey and Finn and lifted straight up to the ceiling.

At the same moment, the Skywalker lightsaber was wrenched from Snoke's grasp. He looked over in confusion as the weapon flew across the throne room towards Rey.

Confused, Rey looked around the room as she caught the hilt of the lightsaber.

Her strength returning, Leia climbed to her feet as she watched the doorway with anticipation.

Then, the door came sliding upward to reveal a cloaked, bearded man, radiating exceptional power in the Force.

Rey, Finn and Kylo looked on in disbelief as Luke Skywalker entered the room.

As he strode forward, Luke released the Shadow Guards, sending them back to the floor with a thud.

He looked right at Snoke, his expression serene and calculating. Snoke's attention was diverted from the injured Kylo and he turned to face the Jedi Master.

Although his gaze was not directed at her, Leia could sense the mix of emotions behind her brother's mask of calm, his love for her as well as the cause he was now coming to believe in.

As Luke prepared to confront the Supreme Leader, he gazed at Leia, who immediately understood his nonverbal message. She nodded in reply and hurried over to her son, who was still struggling to stand.

"Let's go," she whispered to Ben as she helped him to his feet.

Ben remained silent as he got up with his mother's support, but gazed at the floor with deep shame.

Still carrying the lightsaber-pime, Finn staggered towards Rey, caught her under the arms, and hauled her to her feet.

"We have to get out of here," he said.

Rey tried to walk, but stumbled on her hurt leg. "Come on," Finn said, draping an arm around her. They began to exit the throne room, followed by Leia and Ben Solo.

"Mother, I..." Ben at last said, but Leia cut him off.

"Forget it, Ben."

Her feelings about her son were still conflicted- the fact remained that Han was dead at his blade. She would figure it out later- the important thing was to get them safely away from Snoke.

"Wait, I think I can walk now," Rey said, shifting her weight to support herself.

"You sure?"

Rey nodded and Finn released her slowly. He looked back cautiously at Leia and Kylo Ren, who were walking close behind them.

Leia looked back into the throne room at Luke. She prayed silently that this would not be the last time she saw him, after so many years. Yet, even if it was, he was doing what he had trained to do- keep the spark of hope alive at all costs.

In a guard tower adjacent to the landing platform, General Hux watched the surveillance footage inside Fortress Vader's corridors.

"Kylo Ren's still alive," he seethed, "but how?"

He switched on a hologram of Captain Phasma.

"Kylo Ren has betrayed us as expected, but he's still alive. Kill him and the other prisoners, at number one priority."

"Master Skywalker, it has been too long," Snoke sneered. Both he and Luke were circling around one another, waiting to see who would make the first move, "You have finally come to meet your doom."

"Maybe," Skywalker replied, "but the Rebellion will live on. You've already lost, Snoke."

"Really?" Snoke questioned. He deactivated his red lightsaber and tucked it away in his robes. Then, Snoke raised both his gnarled hands and unleashed a massive stream of Force lightning at Luke, the strongest he had sunmoned yet.

At a split second's notice, Luke raised his flesh hand as the energy hurled towards him, absorbing every crackling jet into his palm.

Snoke's mouth widened in shock, and he unleashed an even more devastating assault.

Again, Luke held up his hand and absorbed the lightning. Then, he redirected it straight back at Snoke, who once again drew and ignited his lightsaber.

With a hoarse scream of fury, Snoke leapt high into the air and came down towards Luke.

Reflexively, Luke pulled his own lightsaber from his belt and brought its glowing green blade to life.

Snoke flew at him, attacking from left and right. Luke anticipated every blow in advance, blocking and pushing back each time.

Red clashed against green, faster and faster as the two masters moved along the floor of the throne room.

"Look out!"

As Rey, Finn, Leia and Kylo reached the exit of Fortress Vader, they were confronted by an AT-AT Walker coming through the lava banks.

In the cockpit of the lead walker, Captain Phasma ordered, "Fire."

"But Captain, the Supreme Leader's palace?" the driver asked.

"The prisoners must die," Phasma replied, "Kill them."

The four of them dove to the side as the Walker fired, blasting a small crater into the stairway.

Rey and Kylo immediately looked at each other and nodded, thinking the same thing. They activated their lightsabers and charged at the walker, avoiding the gases coming from the nearby rivers of lava..

"Rey, no!" Finn yelled as the Walker fired again, striking the rocky ground. Splashes of molten came out of the resulting hole in the pathway, scalding the rocks.

"Don't go with him," he mumbled selfishly to himself.

Rey and Kylo each jumped onto the front legs of Phasma's AT-AT, cutting into the metal. The Walker stumbled and staggered as it tried to resist.

The stormtrooper guards appeared from behind the pillars on the outside of the castle, opening fire on Leia and Finn.

Finn raised the saber-pike and swatted as many bolts aside as he could.

Noticing a fallen stormtrooper, Leia seized the opportunity. She reached for the dead man's askew blaster and summoned it to her hand, shooting at the rest of the guards.

In the distance, two more Walkers could be seen approaching through the burning ashes in the air.

At last, Phasma's Walker gave out and the front legs went crashing into the molten.

Rey and Kylo jumped out of the way as the AT-AT crumbled to the floor with a violent finish.

Through the smoke and ashes, Captain Phasma emerged from the smashed cockpit, followed by a squad of Shadowtroopers. Phasma carried a long blaster in one hand and an electrostaff in the other.

As the two lightsaber-wielding warriors prepared for battle, another heavy artillery blast flew towards them from the next AT-AT.

"Get out of the way!" Kylo yelled as the shot took out a chunk of ground near Rey's feet.

"Let's take the next one out!" Rey shouted as she began to run at the Walker.

Kylo raced after her, leaving Phasma and the shadowtroopers firing after them.

Watching the scene via hologram in his shuttle, Hux activated his comlink and patched a signal to the fleet above Mustafar's atmosphere.

"Deploy the fighters," he hissed, "I want them dead as soon as possible."

Hux's shuttle proceeded upwards towards the _Finalizer_ as the TIE Fighters came soaring down through the red and black clouds.

As Phasma began pursuit of Kylo and Rey, she turned to find Finn charging at her, swinging his pike violently.

"FN-2187," she said as her staff clashed against his pike, "I look forward to killing you myself."

"Let's go, Chrome Dome!" Finn shouted angrily, bringing his pike down against Phasma's staff again.

He hated her more than Hux, she had been his lifelong tormentor, and now she wanted to kill Rey also. He'd cut her up and throw her in the lava.

As Finn struggled against Phasma, Leia continued to fend off the attacking troopers while Rey and Kylo took down the next two Walkers.

A swarm of TIE Fighters came overhead, ready to fire and take out the escapees.

"Red Leader standing by."

"Gold Leader standing by."

As the TIE Fighters aimed to fire on the four escapees, dozens of X-Wings, Y-Wings, and A-Wings came soaring into the fray, overtaking immediately.

"_Raddus, _reporting in," Admiral Ackbar declared.

"_New Alderaan, _reporting in," Wedge Antilles replied through the radio.

At the same time, the _Raddus _as well as several Republic vessels entered Mustafar's system, opening fire on the First Order fleet.

"We're under attack!" Captain Peavey yelled, "all hands on deck!"

General Hux stormed furiously onto the command bridge.

"They were down to one ship when we cornered them on Crait!" he fumed, "Where did all this firepower come from?"

As the _Finalizer _exchanged artillery fire with Wedge Antilles' New Alderaan, Poe came steering the _Millennium __Falcon _into the atmosphere, with Chewbacca firing at any TIE Fighters in sight.

"This way," Poe muttered, manuevering the _Falcon _towards the towering castle.

As Luke and Snoke once again clashed their blades together, Snoke realized that he would need the element of surprise to defeat the Jedi Master.

While Luke was focused on deflecting Snoke's lightsaber onslaught, the Supreme Leaser used his mind to disconnect a pillar supporting the castle's main structure.

The pillar came flying straight towards Luke, who sensed it and jumped high into the air.

Before he landed on his feet, Snoke seized another pillar and sent it towards Luke.

As the castle began to shake, the pillar knocked Luke onto his side, and he came tumbling down to the floor.

Snoke stepped forward, raising his red blade to go in for the kill.

"The Jedi were always destined to fail," he sneered, "as is the light side."

"Amazing," Luke panted, rolling over onto his back, "Everything you just said was wrong."

A chunk of Fortress Vader's rooftop came plummeting towards Snoke, who glanced up and dove out of the way, allowing Luke to jump up onto his feet.

Snoke looked around, seeing the vehicles at war outside his castle. He could sense Kylo Ren still, as well as General Organa. He was simply unable to beat Skywalker, he realized.

Luke waited for Snoke to make the next move, but instead the towering Supreme Leader turned and started to retreat back towards his throne room.

Wondering what Snoke had up his sleeve this time, Luke followed.

As he crossed through the archway leading into the throne room, Snoke leapt out of the shadows, his lightsaber whirling in a crimson cyclone.

Luke moved with equal timing, repelling Snoke's surprise attack with enough power to knock him over.

With a final glare at Luke Skywalker, Snoke jumped across the throne room towards his chair.

"You will never know peace again, Skywalker," Snoke said, sitting on his throne, "I will wage war against you until the galaxy is nothing but ash."

Before Luke could do anything else, Snoke's throne began to slide upwards against the wall, towards an open hatch in the ceiling. As the throne disappeared through the small hatch, the ceiling closed up again.

Wasting no time, Luke rushed past the still-unconscious Shadow Guards towards the exit. He had to get to Leia and the others, and get them all away.

As the aerial battle continued above, Leia turned to find Luke running out of the fortress.

He stopped as he found her gazing at him. Luke regretfully returned her look, glancing down at the molten rock below them.

It was Leia who broke the silence. "You came back."

Luke took a gulp before replying, summoning the nerve. "I know I shouldn't have left, Leia. But I failed at everything. Keeping the Jedi safe, protecting Ben from Snoke, everything."

"But you came back," Leia said adamantly, "I never stopped believing you would."

"I'm sorry, Leia," Luke replied, "about Han...everything."

"He died trying to bring Ben back," Leia said, "Now I know sacrifice was not in vain."

Luke didn't respond to that point, unsure of what to believe.

He remained silent until Leia came forward and embraced him as hard as she could.


	10. ChapterX

Though Finn fought back with all his anger and hatred towards Captain Phasma, there was no denying that she had every advantage, being much larger and stronger than he was.

Once again, Finn swung his saber-pike at the helmeted officer, and once again, the force of Phasma's rebuke sent Finn backwards.

By now, the two combatants had reached the edge of a cliff overlooking the sea of lava.

Panting with exhaustion, Finn doubled over as Phasma charged. The injury to his back was still drilling into him, and he could barely stand.

He let out a scream of agony as Phasma struck him in the gut with her staff. Finn the shocks ripple through him as he flew backwards past the ledge.

_The Force, your ally it is, _said a raspy, wizened voice from the unknown, _and a powerful one it is. _

Phasma looked down below the rocky cliff into the sea of lava. No sign of the traitor.

Holding onto the black, scalding rocks with one hand, Finn used his arm as a spring, leaping into the air. Without consciously controlling his actions, Finn somersaulted in front of the surprised Phasma and swiped his red blade at her.

Phasma frantically backed up and raised her weapons, which went flying out of her steel hands and into the lava below as she tripped over the edge of the cliff..

As Phasma grabbed onto the rocky ledge, Finn once again swiped his blade at her, striking the visor of her helmet.

He could now see past the mask of invincibility into her eyes, boring into him.

"You...were...always...scum..." Phasma uttered, determined to assert her dominance to the end.

Finn could feel that same mysterious energy that had guided him before, flowing through his veins. He knew that energy, it had helped him in his fight with Kylo Ren on Starkiller Base.

"Rebel scum," he confirmed, then raised his pike to deal the final blow.

Something inside Finn faltered. This mysterious Force was telling him something, he knew. He still hated Phasma, but if he struck her down now, while she was defenseless, he was no better than her. Little better than Starkiller Base had been.

"Hux should be glad to see you now," Finn mocked. With one last scathing glare, he turned and started to walk away, taking the pike with him

Suddenly, as Finn started across the narrow trail leading back to Fortress Vader, a TIE Bomber came soaring over his head.

As Finn prepared to avoid the incoming assault, a bomb came flying down towards the rocky cliff, blasting it apart.

Finn stumbled and barely managed to catch his balance as he stood in front of a newly-formed hole in the path, leading straight down into the lava below.

Still holding on to save her life, Phasma pressed a small button on her armor's wrist gauntlet, activating retractable spikes on her sleeves.

Slowly and carefully, Phasma began to climb back up to the higher ground.

As Finn looked desperately for another way out, he saw the headlights of the _Millennium Falcon _emerging from the gaseous fog.

"Hey!" he shouted, "over here!" He could not help but whoop with relief as the_ Falcon _began to descend, blasting the TIE Bomber on its way down.

"Hey, Finn's all right!" Poe said excitedly to BB8.

"Prepare to go long range and target the _Falcon," _Hux commanded.

"Sir, we're still taking heavy hits from the New Republic..."

"The _Falcon!" _Hux shouted, "do it now."

"Yes, sir."

The _Finalizer _trembled as it was struck by a blast from the _Raddus_.

Hux looked with dismay as he saw the burning Star Destroyers that had already been taken out by the New Republic ships.

As Poe prepared to dock the _Falcon, _the ship's sensors picked up on a long-range missle falling down towards it.

Chewbacca gave a roar of alarm and Threepio shouted, "What is it with you pilots and your reckless flying?" as Poe swerved the _Falcon _horizontally on its side and sped away as the missle drilled through the ground. Finn ran out of the way and dropped onto his stomach, his weapon slipping out of his grasp and out of sight.

He cringed and groaned as his ribs hit the hard, hot ground.

The toxic air slowly crept into Finn's lungs, causing him to cough.

He remained on his stomach until he felt a pair of hands seizing him.

Finn turned his head to find Poe helping him up off the ground.

"Poe!" he shouted, his elation renewed. He grabbed his friend in a tight embrace.

"Hey, Finn, you're okay!" Poe exclaimed.

"I guess," Finn replied. He looked up at the combating vessels throughout Mustafar's horizon. "How'd you get so many ships?"

"You can thank Chewie for that," Poe said, "You'd better come aboard."

Finn gratefully rushed after Poe into the hatch, but then jerked wildly as two strong arms grabbed him and hoisted him off the ground.

"Finn!" Poe shouted, drawing his blaster.

Finn struggled as Phasma's gloved hand crawled up towards his neck, her other metallic arm wrapped tightly around his middle.

Poe aimed the blaster as Phasma held Finn in front of her. He shifted the nozzle, looking for an opportunity. If only he could get a clean shot without the risk of getting Finn...

Finn gasped for air as Phasma strangled him, squeezing his throat to a pulp.

Suddenly, Phasma's hold on Finn was relinquished as she released him and rose into the air, her arms and legs flailing.

Kylo Ren emerged from the foggy ashes, followed closely by Rey. He was holding Phasma in a deadly Force-grip.

As Kylo restrained the struggling Phasma, Rey stepped up to her, saber ignited.

"I should cut you down after what you did to Finn," she said fiercely, "after what you did to all of us"

Finn took several deep breaths to recover the air lost from his lungs, made more difficult by the toxic gases being emitted from the volcanic ash.

He looked between Rey and Kylo in surprise.

"She deserves to suffer," Kylo encouraged her, "Make it hurt."

"Rey, wait!" another voice called out from the smoke.

Rey turned as Luke and Leia appeared from the obscuring ashes.

At the sight of his mother and uncle, Kylo released Phasma and looked away in shame, a sudden emotional weakness coming about him.

"Don't do it," Luke urged her, "She poses no threat to any of us."

Luke's admonishing was all Rey needed to hear. She glowered back at Phasma and plunged the blue lightsaber into her plated chest. Phasma's eyes widened, and then froze in place.

Rey turned back to Luke and raised her hand, aiming a slap at his face. Luke leaned sideways, dodging the blow.

"You don't get to give me orders," Rey snapped, "You don't get to tell me anything. I'm never going to listen to you again!"

"Rey," Leia interjected, hoping to gently get the young woman to see reason, "You don't have to forgive Luke right now. But you must realize that he is the last Jedi, and we need him."

"I don't need him," Rey replied scathingly, "I'm not going anywhere he is."

By this time, Chewbacca had come out from the _Falcon _after Poe.

When he saw Kylo Ren, his grief and anger towards Han's death was immediately resurrected. He raised his bowcaster to fire, and Kylo did nothing to defend himself.

_I deserve to die. _

It was Leia who intervened, raising her hand peacefully to stop the blow.

Chewbacca cocked his furry head in confusion, glancing between Kylo and Leia.

"Chewie, don't," Leia said weakly, looking at him with a plea.

Chewbacca grunted softly as he tried to understand. Then, looking deep into Leia's eyes, he could hear his old pal Han again, begging his son to come home. Then, he lowered his bowcaster in resignation.

"Wait, wait a minute," Finn said, seeing the nonverbal exchange between Leia and the Wookiee, "Kylo Ren says he's sorry and he's just allowed to join our side?"

Once again, Kylo said nothing, unable to look at anybody else.

Surprisingly, it was Rey who spoke up on his behalf.

"We probably wouldn't be here if it wasn't for Kylo," Rey said, "Snoke would have killed us."

"No, no, Finn is right," Leia said, "Ben, you still will have to face justice." It pained her to cast this on her own son, but the whole Resistance counted on her, not just her family.

The whole galaxy counted on her, she amended.

It was the sound of his mother writing him off that triggered Kylo. He'd saved her from being tortured to death, and she was sounding just like his uncle had when he'd tried to cast young Ben Solo away from the Jedi academy.

Maybe he had done wrong, but Luke Skywalker had failed him when it mattered most. He had failed to realize that Snoke had infiltrated his Jedi Order, and responded to this failure by casting Ben aside.

Just like his father had cast him aside.

"And what about Skywalker?" Kylo seethed, gazing down into the lava river, "Are you aware, mother, that he tried to kill me, that he would have, if Snoke hadn't saved my life?"

"Luke?" Leia looked questioningly at her brother.

"It wasn't like that, and you know it, Ben," Luke replied, "I tried to save you from the dark forces influencing your mind, but you were too far gone. I sent you away to protect you."

"You're lying!" Kylo shouted, "Lying as you always do!"

"Clearly the dark side still has a strong hold over you," Luke said.

"Enough excuses!" Kylo raged.

Before anyone else knew what was happening, Kylo drew his lightsaber and activated its red blade, lunging at Luke.

"No!" Leia shouted as Luke backflipped down the perilous slope, igniting his own weapon as he grabbed on to the rocks for dear life.

Before Leia could stop him, Kylo leapt down towards the lava banks, charging at Luke as Leia, Finn, Rey, Poe and Chewbacca watched.

"We have to go help him," Poe said.

"He doesn't deserve any help," Rey snapped.

"Come on, Rey," Finn tried to reason, "It's him or Kylo Ren. You remember Starkiller Base?"

"Let's go," Leia urged, pulling Finn and Poe along with her as she raced into the _Falcon._

"Oh, mistress Leia," Threepio said, "I am most pleased to see that you are safe."

Leia could only spare the protocol droid a glance as she climbed into the _Falcon's _cockpit with Chewbacca.

Rey could not bring herself to follow. Her feet remained planted on the hot ground as Finn popped out of the _Falcon_'s boarding hatch.

"Rey, come on!" he shouted.

"I'm sorry, Finn," Rey replied sadly.

She took off running the other way after Luke and Kylo.

"No!" Finn shouted as the _Millennium Falcon _lifted off into the gaseous sky, "Rey!"

He couldn't believe he was watching her disappear, choosing to help that monster Kylo Ren over him and the Resistance.

Standing on the black sand adjacent to the flowing sea of hell, Kylo glared up as Luke climbed down towards him, his green blade glowing amid the grey smoke and red lava around them.

"You're a coward, Skywalker!" Kylo yelled, "Too cowardly to see the truth in front of you! You didn't care enough to help me then, and you don't care now!"

Luke finally reached the sea level, holding his weapon vertically in front of him.

"Maybe it's time you took responsibility for your own actions," he replied, "maybe it's time you stopped playing the victim."

Kylo charged at his uncle, lashing out with his blade.

Luke blocked his offensive and pushed back, striking repeatedly against Kylo's weapon until his younger foe was forced backwards.

"General Hux, we can only take so many more hits!" Captain Peavey shouted as the _Finalizer _lost its northwest cannon.

"We cannot lose to them!" Hux replied, balling his fists as he watched the New Republic fleet in fury, "Keep up your assault!"

"Sir, Supreme Leader Snoke is making contact," chief petty officer Unamo reported.

Hux swallowed with a sudden wave of fear, knowing that the Supreme Leader could not be contacting him with good news or praise.

"I'll take it in my chamber," he replied, striding towards the exit.

Suddenly, Hux was jerked down to the floor of the command bridge as the hologram of Supreme Leader Snoke's large, twisted face appeared.

"Armitage Hux, my disappointment with your performance cannot be overstated," Snoke rasped.

"Supreme Leader, our ships are doing everything they can," Hux assured him, "We cannot give up now."

"It is too late, Hux," Snoke replied furiously, "We cannot risk the complete demise of our fleet. You will issue a full retreat immediately."

"But Supreme Leader..."

"Do not make matters worse for yourself, General," Snoke said, his tone emphasizing the tentative state of Hux's position, "You will deal with the consequences later."

Hux bowed his head with great shame. They would all suffer for this humiliation, Kylo Ren, General Organa, the girl named Rey...and Supreme Leader Snoke.

He would avenge this defeat, and make sure each of them knew the military might of Hux. He would come out on top in the end.

Among the fleet of X-Wing fighters, one stood out as having no pilot in the cockpit. It was the astromech droid Artoo Deetoo who single-handedly flew the older model across the aireal battle, shooting down TIE Fighters along with the Republic ships.

The voice of General Wedge Antilles spoke into the headsets of every pilot.

"The First Order has retreated, I repeat the First Order is gone! We're all clear."

The Resistance and Republic pilots cheered, along with the crews aboard the command ships above.

"We have a Princess to rescue," Wedge said to Admiral Ackbar, who nodded in agreement.

"Get a shuttle ready," Ackbar ordered a nearby team as the two leaders made their way towards the hangar.

The lightsaber duel took Luke and Kylo farther and farther along the shore, with Luke now taking the offensive.

He was careful not to harm Kylo; although the younger man was certainly out to kill him, Luke knew that Leia still loved her son deeply and would be devastated if he died, especially before finding inner peace. He would have to keep them both alive until he could somehow end the duel without bringing death or severe injury to Kylo Ren.

Luke's strikes kept Kylo busy, forced to remain on the defensive as the two entered an impasse.

Realizing his uncle's strategy, Kylo moved his eyes over to the sandy slope on his left. If he could break away and get the high ground, he would have the advantage over Skywalker.

Of course, he realized, Skywalker was still too affected by Jedi indoctrination to do him any real damage. He may have nearly killed Kylo once before, but Kylo could sense Skywalker's weakness now.

Abruptly, Kylo lowered his lightsaber and backed away. Luke's blade halted its course to cut into Kylo's shoulder and the older warrior faltered.

With a yell, Kylo leapt up onto the hill, pointing his lightsaber down at Skywalker.

Luke pivoted and ran towards his nephew, lightsaber raised.

Kylo raced down the slope to strike with all the rage he could muster. Before he got to Luke, the Jedi Master raised a hand and shoved Kylo down onto the sand.

Kylo sprang to his feet as Luke came over him, using the dark side to fuel his attack.

"Your guilt is your weakness, Skywalker!" Kylo shouted as the two swerved around one another, "The Jedi's compassion was always their downfall."

"No," Luke replied, "Compassion saved the galaxy, and it will again."

"You won't kill me, I know you won't!" Kylo taunted him, swinging his blade against Luke's, "That's why you can't win!"

"I'm not in this to win," Luke said, "I'm in this to bring hope back."

"Hope?" Kylo scoffed, "hope, like the hope that you thought would save your precious order?"

Luke wavered slightly, his insides tightening as he remembered the temple, burning like the rivers of Mustafar.

Kylo continued his angry rant; "The hope that you thought would bring peace? Peace is always doomed, just like the Jedi!"

Luke tried to block out his nephews taunts, knowing they were just words.

But it was coming back to him now. It had all been for nothing, hadn't it? The Rebellion, its struggle against the Empire. One dark entity was gone, another came to take its place.

Luke had helped his father see the light once again, only for his sister's son to fall to the dark side under his guidance.

Now, Han was dead, the First Order had nearly destroyed the Republic, and the Jedi Order was almost completely decimated for the second time in half a century.

Even now, afte Kylo Ren had betrayed Snoke, he had failed to come back to the light.

That wasn't Luke's problem anymore.

He stared his nephew down, dead in the eye, before charging again, this time determined to make it count.


	11. ChapterXI

"Down there!" Poe pointed to the green and red flashes beating against one another down below.

Staring ahead with quiet determination, Leia steered the _Falcon _towards Luke and Kylo. She watched as Luke's attacks became more aggressive, with Ben clearly struggling to hold his own.

Kylo narrowly dodged a blow from Luke's lightsaber that would have sliced his face in half. He noticed with some satisfaction that he had gotten to his uncle psychologically. Luke knew that he was fighting an unwinnable war, and he was slowly losing his principles.

Kylo jumped from the black sand towards the rocky ledge, grabbing on before slipping back to the shore.

Luke dashed up the hill after him, leaping after Kylo as the latter began to climb up. Summoning all his strength, Luke started to climb after him, not bothering to worry about the jagged, slippery rocks beneath his feet.

As Kylo leapt up the rocks towards the cliffside, Luke came up after him, looking for the proper angle to toss his lightsaber upwards.

And there it was. The rocks exposed both of Kylo's legs, at the perfect angle to send him free falling...

Raising the robotic hand carrying his lightsaber, Luke flicked his wrist, sending the green blade up towards Kylo, who swatted it down with his own weapon.

Luke reached out with the Force and caught it, summoning it back to him.

He glowered up after Kylo as he disappeared up the ledge.

Luke sprang up after him, holding on to rock after rock. The Force was on his side, not Kylo's.

At last, Luke reached the top of the cliff, where Kylo was waiting, his red lightsaber extended.

"You know it, don't you Skywalker?" Kylo said, "Hope always dies. All your victories mean nothing! All of your Jedi wisdom, all of your victories, they mean nothing! Your whole life means nothing! You were always doomed to fail!"

Luke said nothing, analyzing the ground between them. He gritted his teeth as the smell of volcanic ash overtook his senses. Kylo was taking pleasure in his psychological victory, knowing he had gotten the best possible revenge.

Rey appeared at the top of the jagged slope, having climbed up after Luke and Kylo.

She raced over to the two combatants as Luke charged Kylo.

As Luke brought his blade against Kylo's, a blue-bladed weapon crossed the paths of the red and blue sabers.

"Get out of the way," Luke said, raising his hand to push Rey backwards.

Rey crumpled onto her side as Luke pushed Kylo away.

That was it, she realized, Kylo had been right about Skywalker. Not only had he let them both down, but he had lost his own ideals.

The _Millennium Falcon _zoomed overhead, with Leia and Chewbacca searching for a place to land.

As the ship flew in circles around the combatants, Luke advanced on Kylo, slashing his blade at the dark warrior.

Kylo looked back at his uncle, fear creeping into him for the first time as he realized that Skywalker meant business.

He watched as Rey once again tried to intervene. Luke pushed his lightsaber to the side with his own, then moved his green blade inward.

Sheer agony erupted at Kylo's right wrist. He screamed to the black fog as his hand was disconnected from his arm, falling past the rocks down the cliff into the lava.

Unable to stand any longer, Kylo dropped to his knees.

Luke raised his lightsaber, swung it downward...

...and lowered his blade to the ground.

Kylo tried to stand up, but fell onto his side as he lost his balance. He winced from the pain, staring at his wrist as he failed to move the nerves attached to it.

"I'm sorry Ben," Luke said, "but I can't help you until you start to help yourself."

He had nearly let Snoke and Kylo get the better of him. But no, he would not win with hate or destruction, but with balance.

Kylo tried to respond with a harsh retort, but let out a grunt of pain instead, clutching his severed limb.

Rey had caught up with the two of them by now. She pointed the blue lightsaber at Luke Skywalker, backing him away.

"Haven't you done enough damage already?" she asked him furiously.

"Rey, I don't know how he got into your head, but he's manipulating you," Luke told her, "don't become misguided like he is."

At last Kylo Ren managed to speak. "He...is...manipulating...you...Rey..." he gagged, "he...failed...us...both..."

Again, Kylo tried to stand up, but fell back onto the hot, black rock, rolling around in pain.

Luke turned back to his defeated enemy. "The dark side will never extinguish the light. As long as I'm here, the Jedi Order lives on."

The _Falcon_ at last docked onto the cliff, and the hatch slid open.

Leia was the first one out, followed closely by Finn and Poe Dameron.

Kylo gazed up at his mother, hoping for reassurance, comfort, anything. But she just looked back at him as though he was a lost cause.

"You...abandoned...me...mother..." Kylo gasped, still feeling every inch of the wound to his arm.

"No Ben, you abandoned yourself," Luke said grimly, switching off his lightsaber blade, "and you continue to do so the more you blame everybody else."

Wedge's shuttle was descending from the clouds, searching for the _Millennium Falcon._

_"_Hey, we'd better get moving soon," Poe interjected, "The Republic fleet can't stick around for long. Snoke's got plenty of bases around the galaxy, and he won't be wasting any time."

"I'm with you now, Leia," Luke told his sister, "Its time I did what I should have done a long time ago."

As Leia gave him a watery smile, Rey stepped back and said, "I'm not going anywhere he is!"

"Rey, look," Finn said, "This is the Resistance! You can't be talking about leaving now! What, what could he have possibly done so that you'd leave?"

"He..." Rey gulped before continuing, "all my life, I wanted answers. Where did I come from, why was I left to be a scavenger on Jakku? I finally find Skywalker, and then he tries to hide the truth from me. Listen, Finn, you wouldn't understand all of it."

"No, I do," Finn said, "I've always wondered where I came from before the First Order, but listen, you can't leave us."

"I can't join Skywalker," Rey replied. Looking into Finn's eyes, she was beginning to realize what she was talking about giving up. Like Finn had said back in the throne room, they had found each other when they'd had nothing and nobody else. Was she really going to give that up?

"You can join me," said a voice from the ground.

Rey and Finn turned to look at Kylo Ren, who was gazing up eagerly at Rey while still clutching his severed arm.

"You, you shut up!" Finn snapped, pointing an angry finger at Kylo, "You got us all screwed in the first place. You have no part in any of this!"

"When you needed guidance, I was there," Kylo said to Rey, "When you needed answers, I gave them."

"You shut up!" Finn ran to attack him, but he was held back by Rey, Poe and Leia all at once.

"Rey," Kylo spoke her name now, "I can teach you the Force, just as I offered before. We can defeat Snoke and bring peace back. We can free the galaxy, without Skywalker."

Wedge's shuttle finally docked next to the _Falcon _on the volcanic cliffside.

Luke and Leia turned around to greet the new arrivals while Finn, Rey and Poe kept their attention on Kylo.

"He's a murderer," Finn argued, "remember Han Solo?"

"Don't talk about what you don't understand, stormtrooper," Kylo replied, "Han Solo left me to my fate, just as Skywalker did."

"I don't care about your fate!" Finn yelled.

"Hey, buddy, take it easy," Poe urged, clapping his friend on the back.

As Wedge and Ackbar came out of the shuttle, the two senior officers exchanged bows with Leia.

"General Organa, good to see you again," Wedge said.

"Same to you, General Antilles," Leia replied, "I'm glad the Resistance finally managed to get in touch with you."

"We don't have much besides this, but it's a start," Wedge replied. He then turned to Luke and gaped.

"Luke? Is that you?" he asked, "Red Five?"

"Good to see you, Wedge," Luke replied with a smile.

He turned his attention back to the argument between the others.

"Rey, he's still manipulating you," Luke said to her, "You don't have to like me, but you can't join him."

"I'm not going back with you," Rey spat, "You're a liar and a coward."

Luke had had enough. This girl was sounding more and more like Ben Solo and no matter what, he was not going to lose her to the dark side.

"You're coming with us whether you want to or not," he said to her, but Leia held him back.

"Luke, we can't force her," she said regretfully, "We're not like Snoke and the First Order."

She then looked to Rey. "I hope you know what you're doing," she said softly.

"I'm sorry General," Rey replied, "But he caused me years of misery."

"I understand," Leia said. It pained her to lose Rey, whom she'd admittedly been starting to see as a daughter despite knowing her very briefly.

She was an autonomous being, however, and Leia would be hardly better than the monster who'd taken her son if she tried to force Rey to come with them.

Luke faltered, knowing she was right. "I wish I could do more for you, Rey," he said, "I'm sorry."

With one last sigh of regret, he turned to head back into the _Millennium Falcon._

"Should we take him into custody?" Wedge asked, signaling towards Kylo Ren.

Leia blinked, holding back tears one too many times, and then nodded. "Go ahead."

Wedge beckoned for several Republic troopers to come out of the shuttle. These men were dressed in the same black jackets and visor helmets as the Rebel soliders of old.

Rey moved her head between Kylo and the Republic troopers. No, she could not deny that Kylo was as guilty as Skywalker, but he was right. He had been honest when Skywalker wasn't, he had given her what she'd wanted as long as she could remember.

Maybe he was still tainted with the dark side, but he could show her more of the Force. And then, finally, she would bring peace back to the galaxy, the right way.

"Don't come any closer," Rey warned Wedge's men, pointing her saber at them.

Wedge hesitated, having observed the dynamic between Leia, the girl, and the other young men of the Resistance. He didn't understand it, but he somehow got the feeling that it was best to wait until another day.

"Hold your fire," Wedge said to his men, "Withdraw."

They obeyed, and turned back to reboard the shuttle from which they had come in.

Finn came up to Rey now, taking her in his arms.

"Please," he begged, desperate now. He couldn't let her go now, not after reuniting for such a short time.

"Rey, stay with us."

"I'm sorry Finn," she replied, now dangerously near the point of tears, "this is what I have to do."

Finn glared past her shoulder at the still-down Kylo Ren. Kylo had returned his attention to the ground, reverting to his earlier state of shame.

He recognized the light within himself, as well as the lingering darkness. It was the darkness that had motivated him to lash out against Skywalker, and the light that had turned him away from Snoke.

By seeing the light in the girl Rey, shown through her obvious affection for the stormtrooper Finn, Kylo was made aware of his own weaknesses. He would have to eradicate them soon, and push Rey into eradicating the weakness in herself as well.

"I can't lose you again," Finn said, "not after...not after almost dying before."

The two friends hugged each other tightly.

"This isn't goodbye forever," she whispered into his ear, "I promise."

Rey let go of him now, knowing that she couldn't take it for much longer.

"Goodbye, Finn," Rey said quietly.

"Rey..." Finn uttered, barely able to breathe now.

"We'd better go," Poe mumbled, tugging Finn by the jacket sleeve.

Finn looked away from Rey, hiding his loss of control as Poe guided him back into the _Falcon _after Luke.

"Finn," Rey whispered, watching him go in.

Before disappearing into the _Falcon_, Poe turned back to Rey and said solemnly, "Good luck."

"You too," Rey replied, "and may the Force be with you."

Leia was the last to go in. She turned to Rey and Ben and said, "It's not too late. It's never too late, for either of you."

Kylo looked away from his mother, trying with his every nerve impulse to shut away his inner weakness.

Rey nodded at her and said, "May the Force be with you, General."

Leia couldn't bring herself to reply. She turned and walked into the hatch of the _Falcon._

A minute later, the freighter was taking off into the sky, followed closely by the Republic-issue shuttle.

Rey watched the vehicles grow smaller and smaller into the inferno. _Finn._

The connection between them was weakening, she realized. Though he was still very close, she was unable to sense him as strongly as she had on the island, or on Crait.

It broke her heart, but she knew that she would see him again. They would be happy, in the free galaxy.

Knowing better than to ask for Rey's help, Kylo tried once again to stand, but failed to gain his balance.

"Let me help you up," Rey said, taking Kylo by the arms and hoisting him to his feet.

"We have to get out of here soon," Kylo told her, "Snoke's going to be back."

"Do you have a ship besides that big TIE Fighter of yours?"

"Snoke has several secret transports hidden in the Fortress," Kylo replied. He gazed at the smouldered ground that led back to the castle, wrecked by the _Finalizer's _long range missles. "We're going to have to take the long way."

The two of them trekked across the black shore adjacent to the lava, looking for another path back to Fortress Vader.

Luke, Leia, Poe and Chewie sat in the cockpit of the _Falcon._

The three older occupants exchanged dark looks, the irony lost on none of them.

Here they were, once again in the same cockpit they had escaped from the Death Star in. Their worries and sorrows had not been few even then, but times seemed much more hopeful. They had believed that the war could be won.

Things were grimmer when Luke, Leia and Chewie had fled Cloud City in the _Falcon. _Han had been captured and Luke had just experienced a revelation that had shattered all he'd known.

But even at that dark hour, there had been much more hope. Han, though a prisoner, was alive and would later be rescued. Vader would eventually turn away from the Empire and carry out a final act of love and sacrifice.

Now, Leia's son had nearly turned back, but was again consumed into the darkness. Han was never coming back, and despite the Republic's win against the First Order fleet, the war seemed to have no end in sight.

It was Luke who broke the silence.

"This was all my fault. I should have taken Rey with me to the island, and I should have kept a more protective eye on Ben."

"Rey's not gone," Leia reminded him, "and neither is Ben. I felt the good in him, when we were in the throne room. He risked everything to stop Snoke."

"I know, but there's still too much darkness," Luke replied, "he still lusts for power, like the Sith."

"Remember Vader?" Leia asked him, knowing that Luke would see her point of view now. Vader's name felt out of place in her mouth, but she still did not dare refer to him as their father. "He threatened us all on Cloud City, and nearly killed you. You felt the good in him, even then. You held on to hope. We need to hold on to hope for Ben, and for Han."

Luke closed his eyes, remembering how he'd sensed Han's last moments, his final thoughts of desperation, pleading with his son.

Then he remembered lying on this very ship, sensing Vader reaching out in the Force. _Father. Son._

Yes, Vader had held onto his inner demons until near the very end, but the humanity that remained in him had triumphed, ultimately saving the galaxy from the Empire's grip of terror.

Luke had believed in his father, even after everything he had done. He had to keep believing.

As the _Falcon _soared into the skies of hell, Finn sat alone in the freighter's walkway, looking out the window to the cliffside where they had left Kylo and Rey.

"I don't understand," he mumbled to BB8, "How could she just go with him? She remembers what he did, right? Kidnapping her, killing Solo, almost killing me?"

BB8 gave a sympathetic, yet uncertain reply.

"You know what?" Finn declared, a sudden, reckless determination seizing him, "I'm not letting Kylo have her! Rey needs to realize that he's nothing but a menace!"

He leapt to his feet, racing towards the escape pods adjacent to the cargo hold.

As Finn punched in the code to access one of the small, rectangular transporters, several pairs of hands held him back.

"Finn, Finn, what are you doing?" Poe asked.

"Rey's still there, with him!"

"She's safe," Leia told Finn calmly, "I know that much. Rey's going to be okay. I can feel it."

Finn relaxed slightly, wanting to believe the general.

"I can't leave her, not again."

It was Poe who seized Finn by the shoulders and shook him, gazing solemnly into his friend's eyes.

"We'll see Rey again, I promise. The First Order is still a major threat, but we all need to work together to stop it. We are the spark that will light the fire that will burn the First Order down.

"You'll be helping Rey by doing your part to the Resistance. We need all hands on deck for this fight. All of us, including Rey, will be safe once again when the war is over. But we can't win unless we be smart.

Finn stared quietly at Poe, digesting his speech. He was awestruck.

Nodding in understanding, Finn felt humbled by Poe's wisdom, for all the daring stunts he was known for in battle.

"Hey, it's going to be all right," Poe said, clapping Finn on the arm, "We're going to build the Republic up again, and we're going to win the war."

"I know," Finn said, managing a smile.

Leia noted Poe's newfound maturity as she watched him reassure Finn. He had definitely come a long way from the reckless pilot he had been during their last encounter with the First Order fleet.

War forced everybody to grow up, Leia reflected.

As the group began to climb back into the cockpit, where Chewie was flying the _Falcon _while Threepio assumed the role of copilot, Luke turned to address Finn.

"You've got a lot of heart, kid," he remarked.

"You're Master Skywalker," Finn realized with a jolt.

Luke chuckled, "Here in person. You and me, we have a lot of training to do."

A small, cloaked shuttle sped through the blackness of hyperspace, carrying the passengers Kylo and Rey.

Sitting at the controls of the emergency escape vessel, Rey turned her head around as Kylo emerged from the medical facility, from which the old fashioned 2-1B droid watched him go.

"How's your hand?" Rey asked awkwardly as Kylo experimented with his new robotic fingers.

Kylo examined the metal hand, very similar to his uncles.

"It'll take some getting used to," he replied with equal unease, "Where is our course set?"

"Ahch To," Rey replied, "We're going to need the Jedi texts if we want to defeat Snoke."

"Rey, listen..." Kylo began, her name still tasting funny coming through his lips, "I just want..."

"No, Kylo," Rey cut him off sharply, "_I _want to make something clear. I'm in this with you because we need each other. Neither of us have another place to go, and we need to work together to win the war. But I don't forget what you did to Han Solo, or to the galaxy as a whole. I will study both the light and dark sides of the Force with you, but that's it. We are not friends."

Kylo flinched as he took in Rey's bluntness. Her words shouldn't have stung the way they did, it was nothing he didn't know or expect to hear.

But he still felt a knot inside as he turned to exit the cockpit.

They may have come together, but both Kylo and Rey were still alone in the vast, infinite universe.


	12. ChapterXII

The First Order's reign extended far beyond the Unknown Regions, from Onderon to Nar Shadda, from Lothal to Canto Bight.

As the remnants of the New Republic rallied for war, the First Order conducted raids throughout it's conquered territories, forcing billions more to join its ranks.

Men and women, boys and girls, dragged out of their homes, away from their weeping families.

Bombing strikes carried out on unsuspecting populations, with the intention of asserting the might of the next Empire.

In one of his many secret hideouts, the deformed, muscular figure of Supreme Leader Snoke addressed a group of about a dozen kneeling warriors.

"I am afraid is a traitor among your ranks," he told them, "Kylo Ren has succumbed to his weakness. The Republic has severely crippled our fleet. While my military regains its strength, I have a most crucial task for you, my most elite warriors, sons and daughters of darkness."

Snoke paced the small, isolated room as he continued. "Knights of Ren, it is your task to hunt down and kill the traitor Kylo, as well as the scavenger Rey. Together, they are too great of a threat to ignore."

"We will carry out your bidding with pleasure, Master," said an unseen Dark Knight.

Hanging on the drab, forbidding wall, the incomplete, burnt body armor of Darth Vader sat watching Snoke and his minions of evil.

The suit of armor was without it's helmet as it hung, yet still appeared to be watching the figures in daunting silence.

On the flora and fauna world of Ossus rested the remains of Luke Skywalker's Jedi academy. The presences of the dead could still be felt within the battered stone walls.

An ancient Jedi text was lying open on the grassy cliffside as the two young warriors practiced sparring with harmless trainee lightsabers

"What's next?" Rey asked as the two of them clashed blades.

"We'll have to go to the old Sith archives," Kylo replied gravely, "We'll need them in order to continue learning the dark side."

Rey swallowed silently, having dreaded this. Yet she knew that the light alone was not enough to take down Snoke.

Suddenly, Rey felt a dangerous, imminent disturbance in the Force. Danger was coming, a powerful evil closing in.

She pulled away from the practice and looked around.

"Do you feel that?"

Kylo nodded, sweat dripping out of his long black hair. "They found us."

"Are you sure it's them?" Rey asked tentatively.

Kylo replied, "We'd better get moving. We can't stay for long."

Rey picked up the Jedi text before scrambling back towards the Temple after Kylo.

After retrieving their genuine lightsabers, Rey and Kylo Ren stood back to back as the armored, masked figures came out of the concealing vegetation.

They raised, their lightsabers, preparing for battle. The Knights of Ren closed in around them and the fight was on.

All that remained of the New Republic military was assembled aboard the _New Alderaan_. Pilots, officers, politicians, maintenance crew, all listened to the speeches of their leadership as the dead were honored, at long last.

On the holoscreen above, the images of the Resistance's fallen heroes were displayed as the Republic leaders took center stage.

Leia stood beside Luke, dressed in his Jedi robes. On her other side stood Wedge and Admiral Ackbar.

Chewbacca let out a mournful roar as the face of Han Solo appeared on the screen, replacing the image of Paige Tico.

"Han Solo," Leia said, "came to believe in our cause, came to believe in hope, by experiencing firsthand the bonds of friendship and family that come with the good of the galaxy. The most valuable lesson Han learned was the lesson of fighting for something greater than himself. Fighing for hope."

Leia took a gulp before continuing. She had promised herself that she was going to get through this, and she was not going to let up now

"And Han... Han died the way he lived. Han's final sacrifice ensured that hope would be preserved."

They had no idea how personal the sacrifice was, Leia thought to herself, and it was best that they didn't. Yet every word she spoke rang true in her heart.

Luke Skywalker stepped up to the front now, as Leia took a step backwards.

"Han, Han was my best friend. If it wasn't for Han, I couldn't have accomplished half of what I did. More than the Force, it was the friendship between us all that helped me in my darkest hours."

He looked to his twin sister and exchanged a sad smile before returning his gaze to the audience.

"For so long, I failed to heed the most important lesson that Han died believing in. I did not believe in hope any more. I felt even more lost when Han died.

But ultimately, I learned to believe again, as Han believed in the love of family. Han's final lesson to me was my first lesson to him. He came a long way from the cocky, cynical smuggler he was when I met him, on Tatooine."

The hand of pilot Yolo Ziff shot up. "Are you Luke Skywalker?"

Another pilot chimed in and asked, "Is it you?"

A commotion came about as it dawned on everybody exactly who was standing beside General Organa.

"Yes, I am Luke Skywalker, Jedi Knight," he replied, exuding more confidence than he had in years, "I'm afraid I owe the entire Resistance an apology. I shrank from my duty as a servant to the galaxy, when times were grim. I was cowardly, and as I said, I failed to heed my own lessons.

"But I am here now, and I believe in hope. I am ready to help the Resistance bring peace and justice back. The Jedi have always believed in the principles of the free Republic, and I solemnly swear to uphold them.

"Never again will we live in fear of the First Order! Never again will we cower to the dark side! As long as we continue to carry on the light, darkness will never overcome us!"

As cheers erupted for the last Jedi, Luke's speech was displayed on the Holonet throughout the galaxy. Trillions upon quadrillions listened to the voice of the fable of past, the living legend of Luke Skywalker.

Their hero was back.

On the balcony of Wedge's garrison on Corellia, Leia stood alone, watching as her Resistance army trained for combat. The Resistance had managed to recruit many more into its ranks in the following months, and its military was slowly regaining its strength of old.

As the naval vessels soared overhead, Leia reached deep into the Force, trying to envision the future in any way possible.

She knew that the light side would win, eventually. It would be a long, difficult struggle, but hope was pn their side. It had led to their victory against the Emperor, and it would serve them again.

Leia also knew however, that the darkness would not be permanently extinguished even with the collapse of Snoke's order. Like the light, the dark side of the Force would never die.

Yet as long as people kept believing in the good, the dark side would never triumph. Luke would pass on the Jedi way, thus protecting the light side's influence for generations to come.

Leia's thoughts now, inevitably, turned to her son Ben. He would never be able to live a happy, fulfilled life, she realized, but there was still light within his troubled heart.

Leia had come to accept that things would never return to the way they had been. Even so, she knew that Ben could still be saved from the darkness, even after all the horrors he had carried out.

She believed in him, as Luke had believed in their father.

_Their father. _Her _father_

Vader had turned away from the darkness, hadn't he? His final sacrifice had brought hope back to the galaxy, because Luke had never given up on him.

Leia had never fully accepted the truth about their father, let alone her blood ties to Darth Vader. But he had loved Luke, as he had loved their mother Padme, as he would have loved her in better times.

Just as Ben loved her still.

As she looked up to the horizom, Leia sensed a new, unfamiliar sensation creeping into her.

As she thought about her son Ben, and the humanity that remained in him, Leia realized that she had finally reached that crucial threshold- forgiveness.

_I forgive you, Father_.

Father. Vader was her father. No, Anakin was her father. At last, Leia accepted the truth. She felt more at peace than she ever remembered feeling now that she had forgiven.

Leia watched as the X-Wings launched into the air, with Poe overseeing yet another flying drill. She looked down to the marching soldiers, then turned back into her own conscious self, filled with warmth and love.

Leia knew that she had served the galaxy well, and she was proud of that. No regrets.

She knew that her faith in Luke had paid off, as would her faith in Ben, as had Luke's faith in Anakin Skywalker.

The Republic was in good hands.

Starring:

Mark Hamill

Carrie Fisher

Daisy Ridley

Adam Driver

John Boyega

Oscar Isaac

Ewan McGregor

Domnhall Gleeson

Andy Serkis

Peter Mayhew

Laura Dern

Anthony Daniels

with Gwendoline Christie

And Frank Oz as Yoda


End file.
